


Star Destroyers

by DepressedCarrot



Series: Star Destroyers [1]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Road Trip, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Bad Flirting, Drug Use, Explicit Language, F/F, F/M, Falling In Love, Implied/Referenced Sex, Making Out, Musicians, Punk, Recreational Drug Use, Road Trips, Romance, Sex, Sex Drugs and Rock and Roll, Skateboarding, Summer Romance, Vagabond Steve, midwest emo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:09:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 152,720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25610359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DepressedCarrot/pseuds/DepressedCarrot
Summary: Connie Maheswaran, a career-focused college student had always been an introvert, so when her best friend suggested following a band on tour - it wasn’t something that she thought she would ever agree to.When their paths collide with the Midwest emo band, Star Destroyers, it isn't quite the nerdy road trip that Connie was promised...
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran & Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe, Rose Quartz/Greg Universe
Series: Star Destroyers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1933939
Comments: 102
Kudos: 141





	1. The Opener

**Author's Note:**

> WELCOME, WELCOME, WELCOME TO THE 'ROCKSTAR AU' YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!
> 
> I can't wait to show everyone what I have planned for this and I'm super excited to share it all. Each chapter will correspond to a city and state that the band will be playing in. Follow Connie and her best friend, Max across the states as they embark on a life-changing experience - going on tour with a shitty emo band. 
> 
> As coronavirus has ruined my gigging plans for the summer, I'm going to write about it instead.
> 
> I present to you - Star Destroyers...

Connie Maheswaran had always been an introvert, so when her friend suggested following a band on tour - it wasn’t something that she thought she would ever agree to. 

“Star Destroyers are playing across all of these states over the summer. It’s going to be so much fun! You have to come with me, Connie! Please!” Max pointed towards her phone, aggressively zooming in and out of the homemade tour poster that had been thrown together and shoved on social media to promote the shows. 

Connie furrowed her eyebrows as she took the phone and attempted to look at the tour poster. The only time that she had ever heard of the band had been the times in which Max had raved about their music. She had a rather interesting taste in music and Connie appreciated her ability to find bands that nobody had ever heard of before. However, that didn’t quite mean that it was the sort of music that Connie listened to. 

“They’re going to a lot of states.” Connie gave an uneasy look as she studied the poorly hand-drawn poster. 

“That’s what’s so good about it. Trust me, Connie - you don’t want to miss this! This is your last summer before you finish college, isn’t it about time you live a little? You need stories, else your kids will grow up and tell everyone how boring you were.” Max folded over her arms and shook her head. 

From a first glance, it was strange to see the two girls calling each other friends - it seemed as if they were complete opposites of one another. With Connie being so calm, collected and clean. Max was so much more...alternative. Interesting. 

Max spent most of her time in college wearing black ripped jeans, leather jackets, flannels, oversized band t-shirts and a pair of Docs that had seen better days. Her hair was black and curly, a tatty red beanie struggled to balance on the top of her unruly afro that burst from either side. Sometimes Connie was convinced the hat was glued to the top of her head, there was no other logical reason for it being able to sit so perfectly in place. The bottom of her lip was pierced and Connie knew she had several tattoos - some of which in places that only certain people would have the pleasure to see. 

Connie didn’t hate any of these things, but they just weren’t things that Connie would have modified her body with. She liked all of these things. However, it wasn’t as if her parents would have ever allowed her to pierce her lip or get a tattoo. Not whilst she still occasionally came to stay under their roof. 

Connie was twenty-one now, she should have been allowed to do anything she wanted and yet the fear of her parent’s ruling still loomed over her. 

Despite Max’s alternative styling, the two had become friends in their college dorm. Living together for the past couple of years had forced them closer and they managed to become the best of friends. They were both incredibly smart individuals, however, one of them just led the life of a party animal whilst the other would have preferred to have been tucked up in bed by ten reading a novel. 

“I don’t know…”

“Just think of it as a road trip.” Max shrugged. “Just every night we go to a cool concert.” 

Max was right in saying that Connie hadn’t exactly done much with her college experience other than, well...college. Connie occasionally joined Max on attending college parties, but other than drinking slightly - Connie wasn’t exactly into the lavish party lifestyle that a lot of the students on campus loved. 

“What kind of music is this again?” Connie looked at the poster once more, it wasn’t as if it gave many clues to what the band was about or what kind of music the band played. 

The only thing that it revealed was the band name, tour dates and locations - all of which had poor handwritten placement. A child could have been more creative. It wasn’t giving away any other hints as to what the shows could have contained. 

“I guess it’s kind of emo? The midwestern kind, not that mainstream pop-punk crap. I’m talking edgy alternative rock. It’s mostly just a bunch of whiney white dudes singing about their problems.” Max explained, not quite selling the idea to Connie. 

“Is it like punk?” Connie cocked an eyebrow, passing the phone back to Max. 

“Um, if you’re talking anti-authority, then maybe not so much. But yeah, it’s pretty post-hardcore.” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Connie chuckled as she shook her head. 

“Whatever, man. It’s good! It’ll be an experience of your lifetime and if you want, when we visit different states we can do all the nerdy shit in between. How does that sound?” Max tilted her head, trying her hardest to convince her friend that following a band on tour would have been the best thing that she could have done with her summer. 

It was Connie’s last year of college next year and knowing that made her a little more open to the idea. As much as she had never been one for drinking or moshpits, the idea of the adventure somewhat started to appeal to her. Sure, it would have been different - but perhaps it would have been a good kind of different? Maybe it would have been good to have exposed herself to such a thing? 

“Oh come on, you love the nerdy shit too.” Connie insisted.

“Well, duh. Do you know how many stupid museums and landmarks I want to see along the way? I’ve already made a Boogle document about them. I'll drop you the link.” Max rolled her eyes, Connie should have known her better. As much as she loved her music, she also enjoyed the vast amount of history that the country had to offer. 

Connie laughed, it certainly sounded like Max to do something along those lines. Max was an incredibly organised person and Connie appreciated that very much. If they did follow the band around the country, she knew that Max would have kept them to a strict schedule so they could fit everything in that they wanted to do. They would never have been late to a show if it was down to Max. 

“Can I think about it?” Connie asked, still a little bit unsure. 

“You think too much.” Max groaned as she glanced down at the paperwork in front of her, completely distracted by the last-minute studying that they had been trying to get in together. 

Connie snorted as she glanced around campus, it was a beautiful day and studying together outside had been a good plan. Max began to scroll through her phone and search for her favourite song by the band to show Connie. Suddenly, Max pressed play on the song and a song began to play through the small speaker on her phone. 

“Is this the band?” Connie suddenly questioned, listening to the melodic drum beat and twinkly guitar sound. 

“Yeah! The band has some pretty gnarly backstory. The lead singer is the son of that lady from the cheesy pop band from the nineties that died. They were super famous! Um...you know the one...” Max snapped her fingers and closed her eyes, attempting to remember the name of the girl group. 

“Who? The Gems?” Connie cocked an eyebrow, vaguely remembering what had happened. It was an incredibly well-known story and she had remembered Max speaking about it in the past. 

“That’s the one. I mean, this dude’s band isn’t that well known - totally not the same audience as the people who listened to his mom’s music, I guess.” Max shrugged once more. A lot of the people who listened to his mother’s girl group certainly wouldn’t have listened to the sad drivel that was currently blasting through Max’s phone. 

It wasn’t as if the boy attempted to connect himself to his mother’s previous work. He was brought up around music and found his sound without any prompt. A sound that was the complete opposite of what his mother would play. It simply wasn’t the same and the frontman of the band was more than happy to get away from his mother’s name. He did it for fun - not for fame. 

Max began to flick through her phone as Connie contently listened to the song. The man who was singing wasn’t quite singing...he was shouting. It wasn’t something that Connie would have chosen to listen to in her free time. Most of the music that she listened to were songs that she consumed whilst studying. Most of which were incredibly slow and full of reverb - this was the complete opposite. 

Despite him shouting into the microphone, there were moments during the song where you could have heard him sing. Slight notes being held in the right places to convey the emotion that needed to be heard. Connie was impressed with the singer’s vocal range and was curious to know how different they would sound if they were to sing a love ballad on an acoustic guitar oppose to a grungy electric. 

“So, the band is full of these super cool dudes and this one girl. They’re fantastic and if we’re not friends with them by the end of all of this - our mission has failed.” Max gave Connie a serious look from the opposite side of the table. 

“Wait, we’re not going to be groupies - are we?” Connie’s expression suddenly dropped, realising what Max’s plan may have been the whole time.

“Ooo, I wouldn’t use that terminology. We’re fans. Fans.” Max gave Connie an uneasy look as she repeated herself. 

“Fans…” Connie rolled her eyes, of course, it was on Max’s agenda to do something different with their time. It wasn’t quite just about the music and that was the risk that Connie would have to take if she wanted to go on a road trip with her friend. 

Connie didn’t quite participate in all of the same activities that Max did and she knew that if she was going to go on a trip with her, that keeping up with Max’s party-like lifestyle would have been difficult. However, it was something that Connie had been eager to experience for a long time. There was nothing she wanted more than to leave everything that she had done with her life behind. 

It would have been nice to have lived a different kind of lifestyle. Even if just for a while. 

After leaving her home in Beach City to go to college a few years ago, it had given her a breath of fresh air. Although she hadn’t found herself growing much in the sense of trying new things, she certainly had come out of her shell slightly. Unlike school, she did have a vast social life. College allowed her to be whoever she wanted to be and if it wasn’t for people like Max she would have completely fallen back into her antisocial ways within the first year of being there. 

Connie didn’t want to be considered ‘boring’, it was just the fact that a lot of the things that the other college students did hadn't quite appealed to her. She was paying thousands in student loans to study - not to drink and smoke pot. She didn’t want college to be a waste of her time. 

Although, after spending three years in college it was clear that she hadn’t done much other than study. Sure, that was what she was there for, it wasn’t as if she was going to go crazy by doing something else. Connie didn’t want to disappoint her parents. Max was right - Connie should have experienced more thing. 

Travelling across the country would have given that opportunity. Sure, it was mostly about the music and attending concerts, but it wasn’t as if that was all they were going to do. The concerts were just a compromise and excuse for travelling to different locations. If they got to do something culturally interesting every single day then would that have been a bad thing? 

Connie would have gotten to experience some of the country and Max would have been able to see her favourite band. There was nothing wrong with that. The perfect compromise. Connie could have sat through a couple of hours of musicians shouting if it meant that she got to spend the rest of the day educating herself on the United States of America and the history it held within each state. 

“So, what do you think?” Max questioned as the song came to a close. 

It was incredibly moody and Connie wasn’t quite sure what to think about it. Maybe she would have had to have listened to the song a few times before she could say that she liked it. 

“It’s very...shouty?” Connie observed. 

“Yeah, that’s kind of what this genre is about.” 

“It’s creative?” Connie wasn’t quite sure how else to describe it. She had never listened to something like it before and wasn’t sure how to feel. The tone was incredibly catchy, but the melodies were harsh and although she couldn’t quite hear the lyrics she knew they mentioned depressing topics that she wasn’t quite familiar with. Well, at least she didn’t think she related to them.

“You hate it - don’t you?” Max smirked. 

“N-no! I don’t hate it. It’s just...different.” Connie glanced off to the side, she certainly didn’t want to hurt Max with her opinion of the music. It wasn’t as if she had any grounds to stand on in terms of criticism. The genre of music was completely out of her range of judgement. 

“I know you’re a woman with a vast respect for creative culture, Connie Maheswaran. You’re going to love this. It’s passionate and raw - unlike that weird vampire book you read that for some reason got described by critics in the same way.” Max waggled her finger. 

“I’m not having this conversation.” Connie laughed, slightly embarrassed, suddenly regretting telling Max about a book that she had once read. 

“Sexy vampires aside - what do you say? Are you coming?” Max questioned, desperate for a response. 

“Did I not just say I would think about it?” 

“It’s been like five whole minutes. Is that not enough time?”

“No.” 

“Connie, I’m a very patient person - but this is getting ridiculous.” Max furrowed her eyebrows jokingly, placing her hands on her hips in the process. 

“I’ll get back to you.” Connie confirmed, shaking her head in response. She knew this was one of Max’s many techniques into getting her to say yes to things that she wasn’t quite sure about. 

In a way, she was thankful for having a friend like Max. Without them, it was likely that Connie would have spent her entire time at college doing nothing more than working. Although that was what she originally wanted, she had to admit that she had been to some pretty funny events with Max. It was interesting, to say the least. 

A certain lifestyle that Connie wasn’t quite interested in herself, but was happy to observe. It was good to get a taste of something different. 

“Okay, fine, but I’d better know by the end of the week!” Max groaned, growing impatient with Connie’s indecisiveness. 

Max was used to it. Connie always had to get to the point in which she was overthinking everything before she could decide on an answer. That was fine, Max didn’t mind - but she did find it somewhat hilarious. 

As much as Connie wasn’t quite into the idea at first, it was starting to grow on her the more that Max spoke about it. 

What was there to lose? Connie would have been able to have an experience of a lifetime and there was nothing that was going to stop her in her tracks. 

Connie perhaps thought that maybe she could have spent a summer backpacking - although being able to visit locations across the country and not have to walk sounded pretty good. Both she and Max knew how to drive, despite Connie not owning a car. It was likely though that Connie would be the one driving Max’s car across the country. Although, she once again didn’t mind. It had been a long time since she had gotten the opportunity to drive a long distance. 

It wouldn’t have been too bad, although she hadn’t quite thought about the logistical side of everything that they were going to do - Connie had a lot of money saved up for after college. It was going to be the money to help her backpack or do something else that she would have enjoyed. It was just the case that she hadn’t quite thought of what that would have been just yet. 

Travelling across the country? That seemed like a pretty good thing to pour some of her money into. As long as it was an experience of a lifetime and she was going to have fun - money didn’t quite matter. 

She had picked up work at a local coffee shop by the college for the past two summers and barely spent money on anything other than food, so keeping her finances in check was relatively easy. Connie had always been sensible with her money and it showed. 

Max leant her chin on the palm of her hand and kicked her feet out as she sat on the bench. She twisted a pen around her finger and huffed deeply. 

"Connie - I need an answer." Max sighed heavily, unable to hold on for even five more minutes. 

"Max, this sort of thing needs planning. I can't just agree to go on the spot." Connie argued. 

Max chewed her bottom lip anxiously as Connie stared back down at the page she was currently studying from. She gently tapped the pen against her forehead and sighed a little louder than before. Connie glanced up from the textbook and shook her head. 

"Y'know...I'm not going to decide any faster with you just sat there pouting at me - right?" Connie smirked, unable to hold back. It was hilarious to know that her silence was torturing Max greatly. 

Max stared back, taking a deep breath in as she placed the pen in front of her. She gripped the sides of the table and looked Connie directly in the eyes. 

"Connie, I love you. You are my best friend. I would want nothing more than to share this adventure with you. I will make sure this will be the most fun that you will ever experience in your entire life so that you have something to tell people in social situations so they don't think you're boring. I will show you the world, something something...Aladdin." Max glanced awkwardly off to the side. "Connie, I am asking you from the very bottom of my cold cold heart - will you follow a shitty emo band around the states with me?" 

Connie blinked rapidly at Max's proposal - that was quite the speech. 

"Do I have to?" Connie snorted, her best friend's face suddenly dropping.

"Yes!"

"So, you're essentially kidnapping me?" 

"Yes..."

"Oh. I mean..."

"I'll be nice. I promise." Max winked before throwing up a finger gun towards her friend. 

Connie sighed, burying her head back into the textbook knowing that at that moment, despite not explicitly telling Max what she had decided - she was probably going to be going on a road trip. 

Connie Maheswaran was going on tour...


	2. Brooklyn, NY

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connie and Max begin their tour with Star Destroyers. 
> 
> Connie meets someone at the bar who is more than ready to buy her a drink.

Max had nearly internally combusted when Connie had agreed to go on the road trip with her. As much as it was about discovering everything that the country had to offer, it was also about having fun. It was going to be all about the music and following a band that they enjoyed. 

Well, the excitement for the music mostly came from Max. 

Connie, on the other hand, still had to learn to love the music that the band played. It wasn’t something that she would have typically listened to and admittedly - she was struggling. After having listened to their debut EP a couple of times, it didn’t quite catch her attention no matter how hard she tried. 

She thought about telling Max to call the whole thing off, she couldn’t go and see a band when she had no idea how to feel about their music. At least, that’s how Connie felt. Max had attempted to convince her that listening to a band live was incredibly different to hearing it on a streaming service. Nothing matched the live experience. 

Connie believed Max, although she had never been to a concert herself, she had always heard good things about them. Sometimes artists were better playing live and other times they were just better recorded. It wasn’t often that bands fell under the latter category, but it did happen. Some bands just couldn’t play live. 

Connie hoped that Star Destroyers would have been able to live up to their perky, yet somewhat nerdy sounding name. Their music was energetic and moody, she imagined they would have been able to keep a crowd’s attention for at least a forty-minute long set. 

They had been driving for an incredibly long time. The trip had taken them over two days to complete, finding their way through the states and spending their nights in motels along their way. Max handed the tickets over to the doorman as their hands were stamped with ink and informed of no re-entry. 

Connie didn’t mind standing around and waiting for the opening act. Max spoke to her a little bit about what most of the other venues that she had been to were like in comparison to the one that they were currently standing in. Considering it was the first venue that Connie had ever visited, she didn’t quite have much to compare it to. 

Max was convinced that it was one of the nicer venues that she had been to in her time as a concert-goer. Connie would have begged to differ, but once again she had no grounds to stand on in terms of judgement. 

When the opener began to play, Connie stood beside Max and made sure to watch out for the rest of the crowd. A part of her was worried that everyone would have gotten too close. She was beginning to be numb to the feeling and didn’t quite mind if she was eventually bumped into. At the end of the day, everyone was having fun and she very much appreciated it all. 

The opening band were loud and rowdy, but Max claimed that they certainly weren’t going to be as loud as the headliner that she had hyped up the whole time they had been driving. In fact, it was the band that she had been hyping up for the past month as they decided whether or not they should have gone on the trip or not. Well, most of the contemplation came from Connie. 

Connie wanted a slight break from all of the commotion before the headliner started, offering to get her and Max a drink so that she could get out of everyone’s way for a while. 

Connie stood up at the bar and waited patiently for a bartender to be free, a young man suddenly standing beside her, also leaning on the bar. Connie couldn’t help but look up at him, his body language was incredibly confident as if he had ordered a million times before. 

He was wearing an open short-sleeved flannel shirt that hung over a white t-shirt he was wearing underneath. His hair looked as if it had a mind of its own, standing up tall in an abundance of brown curls. The young man had a round face, covered in an incredibly small amount of stubble that looked like it was attempting to grow but failing miserably. She noticed the black studded earring in one of his ear lobes, it wasn’t quite such an uncommon thing for people there to have piercings. 

The young man turned, looked at Connie and smiled. Connie awkwardly smiled back, nervous that he may have noticed her staring a little too much. 

“Are you enjoying the show so far?” The young man shouted over the music.

“Sorry?” Connie couldn’t quite hear him inside of the venue. She leant forward, hoping that the next time she would have been able to hear him speaking to her. 

“Are you enjoying the show?” The man repeated, leaning towards Connie and practically shouting in her ear. 

“Yeah! This is my first ever concert. Super cool!” Connie admitted, it was nice to have been able to strike up a conversation with a stranger. Her words were phrased in a way to help her fit in with the crowd. Max would have been so proud of her. 

“Woah? Really?” The man in the pink flannel gave off a shocked facial expression.

“Yep!”

“Are you here for the headliner?” He questioned as he pointed towards the stage that was currently dimly lit during the intermission between the openers and the headliners. 

“Well, they’re my friend’s favourite band. We’re planning on following them throughout the tour.” Connie explained, attempting to make conversation with another fan. It would have been nice to have made friends with more people that weren’t just in her college. 

“Oh, really? That’s cool! Well, I might see you around.” The man smiled back at Connie, his smile was kind and inviting. 

“Are you doing the same?” Connie was interested to know if following bands around on tour was a normal thing or if it was just something that Max had dragged her into. Either way, it was probably going to be a fun experience. 

Just as the man was about to answer the question, the bartender walked over to them both and requested their order - mistaking them to be together. Connie gestured for the man to take his order first, she was only being polite. 

“What do you want? I’ll get it.” The man suddenly offered. 

“N-no, it’s okay. Thank you though.” 

“No, really, what are you having? I’ll get it - it’s okay!” The man insisted as he gave her yet another sweet smile. 

Connie hadn’t been to many bars in her lifetime. After all, it was only last November that she had turned twenty-one and even then there hadn’t been much opportunity between college to do so. That and going to parties in the area was usually a lot cheaper than going to a bar, so most college kids chose to drink at home. 

Was someone buying you a drink at a bar seen as a sign of flirtation? She couldn’t tell. It wasn’t as if he had seemed very...flirty. As far as she could tell he was just being overly nice with his words. It seemed the man had a kind nature about himself. 

“Really? Are you sure?” Connie was unconvinced that he was going to buy her a drink out of the sheer kindness of his heart. 

“Really.” He nodded in confirmation. “On one condition...” 

Connie knew she had to be careful, bars could occasionally be filled with a vast amount of creeps. She didn’t want to owe this man anything, it could have been a simple ploy to get to her. Well, get into her pants at the very least. 

“What’s that?”

“What’s your favourite Star Destroyers song?” He cocked an eyebrow, interested to know where her interest in the music sat. 

Connie wasn’t quite sure how to answer the question. She didn’t have a favourite. They were all just as equally noisy and she had found it hard to distinguish the difference between them all. 

“I don’t have a favourite. It’s not my kind of music.”

“What’s your kind of music?”

“British indie boys who use a lot of reverb.” Connie shrugged, admitting her taste of music. Well, at least the coolest sounding genre of the ones that she did listen to. It was the closest she was going to get to alternative rock. The closest she would have ever gotten to fitting in. 

Although she could barely hear him over the music, Connie could see the man suddenly begin sniggering at her suggestion. He had an appreciation for all kinds of music and he also enjoyed British indie boys who used a lot of reverb - he just found the phrasing hilarious. 

“Are you guys ordering anything?” The inpatient bartender leant forward and shouted at them both to snap out of their trance of talking to one another. 

“Right. Can you add it to the tab? Three beers, a Diet Coke and whatever you’re having.” The man ran his fingers through his incredibly fluffy looking hair as he spoke before turning back to his newfound friend, Connie couldn’t quite help notice how attractive he was as he looked back at her. 

“Um, one beer and some water - please.” Connie requested, still feeling somewhat awkward that the stranger was willing to take the fall for the bill. 

The bartender nodded as the stranger gave her a small smirk. 

“Are you drinking the water or the beer?” He questioned, curious to know more about the girl. 

“Are you drinking the beer or the Diet Coke?” Connie countered as she folded over her arms and cocked an eyebrow. The stranger was taken back by her sass but was enjoying every second of it. 

“Coke. How about you?”

“Water.” 

“Sober squad!” The young man cheered as Connie smiled. He was certainly...different. 

“Sober squad!” Connie cheered back awkwardly, the slight wave of her fist reminiscent of some of the college parties that she had been to. Most of which included cheering on other people drinking. 

The stranger turned back to the stage as his beers were placed on the bar in front of him. He turned around and pushed all of the drinks together before picking them up carefully and balancing them in his hands. 

“I’ll see you around - right?” He tilted his head as he held the drinks in plastic cups the best he could, trying his hardest to keep his footing. Connie watched him concentrate on the task in hand. 

Connie’s drinks were placed on the counter and she grabbed them both before turning back to him. 

“Yeah! Thank you for the drinks.” Connie shouted over the music as he stepped away, probably unable to hear her. 

The stranger nodded, it was clear he had no idea what she had said but went with it anyway. It seemed as if he was clearly in a rush to get back to his friends. She knew it was best to just let him go if she caught him at the show later she would have thanked him for the drinks. Well, at least a thanks for Max’s beer - she was certain the water was free. 

Either way, it was an incredibly nice gesture for a stranger to have bought her a drink. That had never happened to her before in her life and in a way - it was nice. 

Connie smiled as she watched the man disappear into the crowd. She practically found herself following him as he opened up the perfect space in the crowd for her to get back to Max. The stranger had completely disappeared by the time that Connie had reached Max within the crowd. 

“How much is going on my tab?” Max joked as Connie handed her the drink. They had already decided that drinks would have been purchased and eventually totalled up so they both knew how much they owed each other. The numbers would have easily been screwed by Max’s excessive binge drinking - but Connie knew that she would have been able to force her to fill the car up with gas. 

“It was free!” Connie exclaimed with a grin, pretty proud that she had managed to get the drink for nothing. Considering it was their first night, it was already going incredibly well. 

“Free? What? Did a cute boy give you it or something?” Max snorted before she took a sip of the beer. 

“Well...yeah…” 

Max nearly choked on the beer. 

“What? A cute boy bought you this?” Max pointed to the drink. 

“Yeah, he was nice.” Connie shrugged casually. 

“Where? You’ve got to point him out to me!” Max stood on her tiptoes and turned around, attempting to look through the crowd for the potential cute boy who had provided her with the alcoholic beverage. 

Just as Max stood on her toes the crowd erupted into a vast amount of cheers. Connie and Max both turned to face the front of the venue, the band suddenly taking place on the stage. Connie watched in awe as the lights beamed down on the band members who one by one took their place on stage. 

A young woman with short brown hair walked on first and picked up a purple bass guitar, dressed in a dark crop top and leather jacket, large hooped earrings hung from either side of her face. The bassist was followed by a skinny man in baggy clothing with a pale complexion who found himself sitting behind the drums. Next came a guy in sunglasses wearing an oversized red button-up shirt that was scruffy and undone, he didn’t hesitate to pick up one of the two guitars that were balancing on stands on the stage. 

Connie was completely entranced as a fourth band member took to the stage. A man wearing a pink flannel along with a white shirt with a star in the middle. He looked incredibly familiar. He was- 

“Him!” Connie grabbed a hold of Max’s sleeve to get her attention before pointing up at the stage. Max’s jaw dropped. 

“Him?” Max shouted, pointing up at the man who was taking the position in front of the middle microphone. 

“Him! He bought me the drink!” Connie rudely pointed upward towards the man who was currently placing a strap of a red Telecaster over his head before pushing down on a pedalboard by his feet. 

“Connie, what the fuck! That’s Steven Universe. He bought this?” Max aggressively gestured at the cup she was holding. 

“Yeah! I swear - it’s him.” 

“Holy shit!” Max gasped. As much as she wanted to get close to the band, she certainly hadn’t expected Connie to have been the one to make the first move. 

Connie couldn’t quite believe her eyes. Although the band weren’t that well known, she had felt as if she had run into a celebrity. He was a celebrity to a certain group of people, despite her having no idea who he was until thirty seconds ago. 

Connie stared up at the man who adjusted the microphone before nodding to the rest of his bandmates. He pressed his distinguishable red sneaker against one of the pedals on the board in front of him once more before gently strumming the guitar once, the crowd erupting at the sound. 

“Thanks for coming, everyone. We’re Star Destroyers!” The man, who according to Max was named ‘Steven Universe’ shouted into the microphone. Unlike their exchange at the bar, his voice was rough as he yelled at the top of his lungs. 

Steven took a step back as the crowd cheered in anticipation. He exchanged glances between each one of his band members, the droning of a single note from his guitar playing in the background. A simple drumbeat began to play as the stage went dark and the crowd hummed, occasionally disrupted by a singular person shouting ‘woo!’. 

Steven ran his fingers through his hair before grasping onto the neck of the guitar and suddenly striking a single chord, the lights flashing on as the crowd abruptly began to shout back. Nobody held back as the infectious beat began to play, everyone in the crowd jumping into one another without hesitation. 

Connie watched Steven through the gaps in the crowd as he ran his fingers up and down the guitar as if it was second nature, the rock song wasn’t anything like what she had heard online. 

Steven took his mark in front of the microphone, still aggressively sliding his fingers back and forth down the frets as if his life depended on it. Connie watched in awe as he began to shout into the microphone. 

“ _I’m starting to forget my purpose. I’m cracking on the surface!_ ” Steven shouted the lyrics to one of his many songs, Connie listening contently as Max began to teeter on her heels and nod her head aggressively. This was quite clearly one of the songs that got the crowd hyped for the rest of the show. 

Connie thought she remembered the song as being the one that Max had shown her on the day in which she attempted to get her to go on the road trip with her. Although now it was being played live it sounded completely different. Connie wasn’t quite sure if it was because now she knew what the band looked like or the fact that them being right in front of her felt so...real. 

It was either that or she had suddenly become interested in the frontman of the band and how he had been kind enough to add her drinks to his tab. It was a kind and friendly gesture - Connie assumed that he did it to all of the women he came in contact with. 

That was the problem with people in bands, a lot of them were in positions of power where they felt as if they could have flirted with her no matter what. Was she just going to fall to his feet? No! That would have been stupid and that was certainly something that Connie found pride in not being. 

Song after song Connie listened to the content of his lyrics, most of which he sang about incredibly depressing things. None of the songs had happy lyrics and yet most of them had happy sounding melodies. It was strange, although Connie was beginning to tolerate the genre after having Max blast it in the car on the way there. 

He was incredibly fluent in his movements and his voice, showing off his musical talent as he played both lead guitar and lead vocals. His voice was somewhat gravelly when he shouted, not quite matching the smooth tone he had spoken in at the bar. It certainly fitted a specific kind of aesthetic and Connie appreciated it all. 

She watched as sweat dripped down each side of his face, the whole crowd practically gasping for more as they bumped into one another. Connie was stood somewhere off to the side, having found herself there sipping on the water halfway through the show. Max had promised she would always come back to find her, but Connie hadn’t seen her since around halfway through the set. 

Connie didn’t mind, she knew that Max was currently being swept away somewhere in a mosh pit having the time of her life. 

Besides, the concerts were for Max and the nerdy road trip was for Connie. At least, that was what they had agreed. 

Connie was more than happy to crawl into a motel room bed at ten o’clock, ready for a bright and early start the next morning. Although, it didn’t seem as if that was ever going to be feasible when Max was on the prowl for a good time, feeding off the crowd’s adrenaline. 

She couldn’t quite see the idea behind getting bruised in a mosh pit, but then again it had never been her kind of thing. Max was convinced that all of that would have changed by the end of the trip - but only time could tell. Max was determined to get her in a mosh pit at least once. She wanted to see her best friend having the time of her life completely out of her comfort zone. 

After finishing her water, Connie had walked to the back of the venue to place the plastic cup back at the bar. It was as if nobody else cared about it, throwing their cups on the floor. It seemed like a health and safety hazard and Connie would have preferred to have a clear conscience knowing that she didn’t have any input in someone slipping on a cup in the mosh pit. 

Upon heading back to the edge of the crowd, Connie watched the band on stage with wide eyes. Everyone there looked to be incredibly passionate about the music that they were playing, not a single one of them missing a note. Steven shouted with such emotion in his voice that even the slight voice cracks he managed seemed to be in tune. Connie imagined that outside of creating incredibly loud alternative rock tracks he had a beautiful voice. 

It wasn’t always about making sure that the right notes were hit within the genre. It was all about emotion and the amount you were able to express within the songs. Steven had a fantastic way of getting his emotions across with his music, his voice showing a lot more emotional baggage than expected. 

Connie cheered along with the rest of the crowd as the show came to an end, even letting out a slight ‘whoo!’ that she had never done before. It wasn’t as if anyone would have been able to hear her over the other people shouting and clapping as the band finished their set - but it felt nice to be included. 

Connie watched as the band disappeared off the stage, each member waving as they left. Connie was convinced it was over until the crowd began to stamp their feet against the wooden flooring. 

“One more song!” They began to chant, obviously expecting an encore. 

Connie couldn’t quite believe it - there was going to be more? It wasn’t as if she minded, but she hadn’t quite expected the set to go on for so long. 

Just as the crowd continued to chant the words over and over, Max suddenly appeared from between two other people. Connie smiled, incredibly happy to see a familiar face in the room that wasn’t the guy on stage who had bought her a drink. Max was practically dripping with sweat, gasping for air as she stood beside Connie. 

“Are you having fun?” Max shouted as she touched her incredibly warm hand against Connie’s shoulder. 

“Yeah! They’re...good!” Connie wasn’t lying. Star Destroyers were in fact...good. She was unsure of how to describe the noise.

“See! I told you that you would love them. Next time, I’m getting you in the pit!” Max patted Connie on the back as the lights on the stage lit up once more, the band walking back out and picking up their instruments. 

Connie was unsure about going into the ‘pit’. It certainly didn’t look safe. Although, for part of this trip Connie wanted to try new things. Perhaps it wouldn’t have been so bad to step out of her comfort zone? She was already rebelling slightly, her parents had no idea she was going to emo concerts every night or following a band around. Were they groupies? 

Fans. 

“Next time!” Connie chuckled nervously as she looked up at the stage once more. 

This time, the frontman caught her eye. She stared up at him in awe as he smiled back. 

Was he looking at her? Did he recognise her from the bar? Was he looking at someone behind her? 

Connie looked away, not wanting to keep eye contact as he adjusted the guitar and began to change the tuning for the last song. Max glanced over to Connie and nudged her violently. 

“Dude, he’s looking at you! You!” Max’s eyes were wide and full of wonderment as she nearly knocked Connie over from her excitement. 

“No, I don’t think so.” Connie blushed. 

Steven Universe stepped up to the microphone and smiled. 

“We’ve got one more song for you guys, I hope that’s okay!” Steven’s voice was kind as he spoke into the microphone, unlike the aggressive singing he had been doing earlier on in the evening. “We’re Star Destroyers and it’s been a pleasure playing for you tonight. Please enjoy the rest of your evening.” 

There was a slight pause. 

“...and I’ll see _you_ tomorrow night!” Steven suddenly nodded towards the section in the crowd where Connie and Max were standing. 

“What.” Connie suddenly mouthed, praying that the frontman hadn’t seen her shock. 

“Connie, what the actual fuck! Connie, I’m screaming. What the fuck!” Max screamed, her jaw-dropping at the sight. She was certain that Steven Universe had looked at them both as his smooth words fell from his lips. 

Max was freaking out. She was sure it would have taken them at least a few shows for them to have picked up on the fact that they were touring with them. Although, Connie’s natural beauty and charm came into play almost instantly - Max was shocked at her ability to pull in a man. Max had never seen Connie act in such a way previously. Not even at a college party. 

“I don’t know what’s happening.” Connie sweated nervously as the song started. The beginning of what was considered the encore and the end of the show. 

Each band member passionately played their chosen instrument, with Steven having such a large stage presence that he was the only person there that Connie could focus her eyes on. He was so fluent in his movements, in the way he shouted into the microphone and how he played the guitar. It was as if he had done it a million times before. He probably had. 

She was mesmerized by the way he played, she had never quite seen anything like it. The way his powerful music made the crowd move was certainly something else. 

The song wasn’t very long, but impactful enough to make the finale worth it. A great way to end the show. Connie clapped her hands violently as the crowd cheered along to the band’s final performance of the night. 

Connie watched as each member of the band exited the stage with a small wave, only to disappear behind a curtain not wanting to be seen until the next day.


	3. Wilmington, DE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven's a sucker for love, the issue being that he always seemed to be looking in the wrong places and his bandmates aren't quite so subtle about informing him of this.

“He was checking you out.” 

“No way.” 

“You saw the way he looked at you - all cute and bug-eyed!” 

“I don’t think-”

“Connie, why can’t you just accept that a cute guy might be into you? He’s incredibly hot and he’s a lead singer of a band. Y’know...the band that we’re following! That’s...look - we’ve got to get in with the band. It will be super cool.” 

“He’s not into me. He doesn’t even know me.” 

“Have you ever been with a guy before? They don’t care about getting to ‘know you’, as long as you’re cute, which you are, by the way, then you’re good!” Max exclaimed as she drove her beaten up old car, which was riskily embarking on a long journey with incredible resilience. 

“I don’t know…” 

“Look, if Steven likes you then that’s our way into hanging with the band.”

“I’m not pretending to like a guy so we can hang out with a band.” Connie argued. It certainly wasn’t like her to do anything of the sort. 

“C’mon, it’s not pretending when you’re into him. I saw the way you looked up at the stage last night.” Max quickly glanced over to Connie and winked before placing her attention back onto the road ahead. 

Connie folded over her arms and shook her head. Sure, the frontman was attractive, but that didn’t mean that she was going to leap into his arms and fall head over heels for him. She had no idea who he was. Connie wasn’t the sort of person who would have been happy to live the life of what was considered being a ‘groupie’ and yet...there they were. 

Fans. They were fans. This was not some kind of sexual pursuit. At least not for Connie…

“The way I looked? I was probably just squinting because of the lights.” Connie rolled her eyes, she certainly wasn’t giving any kind of look towards the man on stage. Max was blowing something so small out of proportion. It wouldn't have been the first time for her to have done something of the sorts. 

“Well, either way - it’s our opening. You saw the bassist, right?” 

“Yeah, I did.” 

“That’s Jenny and she’s a riot. If you can get us with the band just by being with Steven then I _might_ have a chance with Jenny.” Max proudly pointed to herself, Connie slightly disturbed by her friend’s mindset. Max had always been a reckless party animal and her social life was completely different to Connie’s, but she certainly didn’t expect to have to contend with her friend attempting to sleep with a member of the band they were following. 

Oh no, they _were_ groupies. 

Max wasn't on a sexual pursuit either. Well, she didn't quite mind if it turned into one. For the most part, she was just happy to make some friends. 

For Max, the idea of being able to hang out with a band far extended her want and need for some kind of sexual relationship with any of them. It wasn't quite about that, at least for the most part. Hanging out with a band was cool enough. It didn't need to be about sex. This was why she considered herself a fan oppose to a groupie. That was what she liked to tell herself, anyway...

“Really, Max?” Connie sighed as she stared out of the window and watched as the world passed them by. Once again travelling through another state throughout the day to get to their desired location. 

“Look, all I’m asking for is some co-operation.” Max shrugged. 

“You mean you want me to try and get with the lead singer of some emo band so that you can hook up with the hot bassist?” 

“Yes…”

“I’m not doing that.”

“Connie! Cone! C-Dog! The _big_ C! C’mon, when was the last time you hooked up with a guy? When was the last time you lived a little? It’s fun! Look, I’m not going to force you to do anything you don’t want to do, but I think it’ll be good for you. We can hang out with them, pal around, potentially even hook up with them...it’ll be great!” Max attempted to explain the plan within her mind. Although she had briefly mentioned some of these things previously before the trip had even started, Connie hadn’t quite expected them to be things that she was serious about. 

Max was right in thinking that it had been a long time since Connie had hooked up with a guy, considering it wasn’t something that she had ever done before - at least not anything more than kissing. Who would have time for a relationship when there was so much college work to be done? This was why everyone failed college, they were too busy fooling around with strangers. 

At least that’s what Connie believed in her mind. 

As much as Connie wanted to use the trip to break out of her comfort zone, she wasn’t quite sure that sleeping around with a random guy was what she would have considered breaking out of that zone. At least, it wasn’t what she wanted. 

“I can’t believe I agreed to this.” Connie laughed, a part of her immediately regretting her decision to tag along. 

“Seriously? You’re going to have the time of your life!” Max assured, convinced otherwise when it came to Connie. Max was determined to get Connie a place in the world that wasn’t dedicated to a textbook. She was desperate to get Connie to experience life for what it was, outside of the four walls of her dorm room. 

“We’ll see about that…” Connie sighed once more as she turned up the radio slightly to drown out any further conversation. 

They had spent most of the day continuing to hang out in Brooklyn, the journey between Brooklyn and Wilmington being nowhere near as long as some of the other drives they would have to face along the tour. 

Whilst Max and Connie made their way to the music venue, the band had found themselves sat backstage making the most of their time together before a show. 

Most of the time, venues only provided them with a very basic room to hang around in before a show. It usually consisted of a few tables and a couch or two. It was never much, but then again, the band never expected much from the amount of money they were receiving for playing the shows. They weren't playing arenas and they certainly weren't earning much for their time. If it wasn't for people buying merchandise, some nights they would have found themselves struggling to pay for food or cover their tab. 

Living their lives in a band wasn't glamorous, but it was something that each of them wanted to do. At least for now. Steven dreaded the day in which they would disband and he would have to find some normality in his life. He couldn't quite imagine not shredding a guitar for a living. It wasn't as if he felt as if he could really amount to much more. 

“So, I was speaking to this girl at the bar yesterday and she said her and her friend were following the band. Isn’t that cool?” Steven sat on a beaten-up couch situated at the back of the venue, there wasn’t much backstage, but just enough to keep them entertained until they had to play later that night. 

As by entertainment, they were referring to the copious amounts of weed and alcohol they had stashed away. The venue wouldn't let them smoke inside, but there was no harm in heading back out to the van to get their fix. 

“Woah, we have groupies?” Sour Cream gasped, sat on the edge of a table, the lighting not doing his pale complexion any favours. His hands gently tapped a beat out on his knees. 

“Groupies?  _ Cute!  _ Can we meet them?” Jenny gasped as the conversation drew her attention away from her phone for a split second. 

“Groupies only have one intention and that’s trouble.” Buck commented in a deadpan expression as he sat beside Steven on the couch and pushed his sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. 

“They didn’t look like trouble…” Steven defended the two women. He wasn't quite sure if they had been groupies either. The girl that he had met at the bar seemed pretty reserved and just from their conversation it didn't seem as if she had any idea who he was. She had certainly been dragged to the show by her friend - there was no doubt about it. 

“Groupies only have one intention and it’s usually sex-related.” Jenny glanced around the room before shrugging. “I ain’t complaining.” 

“Hey Steven, what do you think? Should we ask them to chill after a show?” Sour Cream questioned as he kicked his legs back and forth on top of the table. 

"If it gets weird - I'm out." Buck had always been a little anxious around new people and hearing about two women that were following the band seemed a little nerve-racking to him. 

Steven wasn’t quite sure how to respond. He had seen the two women amongst the crowd and had spoken to one of them at the bar. He felt terrible that he hadn’t even gotten her name. Although, it hadn’t been the first time he had unsuccessfully attempted to flirt with someone at a bar and had gone away without even getting their name. He liked to think he was good at it - but his track record proved otherwise. People didn't like flirting with Steven, they preferred dragging him away to somewhere quiet and convince him to partake in sexual acts with him. 

He didn't really need convincing. As long as in his mind he believed for a split second that someone would love him the way that they looked at him in that moment when they popped the question then he wouldn't have cared. The issue came when that look never came about again. The only thing sex ever did for him was to fill a temporary void that was desperate for love and someone to share it with. 

“Sure? If they’re here tonight.” Steven shrugged, he was unsure of what inviting them backstage after a show would entail. It wasn't as if he had never invited anyone backstage before - but everything about these people seemed different. He was desperate to know more about them, the girl that he had met at the bar and her friend that he was yet to meet. 

He had found himself rather encapsulated in the presence of the woman that he had spoken to at the bar. Her eyes glistened under the lighting of the venue, her hair flowed so perfectly down to her shoulders, she was slightly awkward about being there, but Steven appreciated that. It seemed as if she wasn’t particularly there for the music and surprisingly, that felt nice to hear. It would have been nice to speak to someone on the tour who didn’t...know him. Especially, someone, he felt so inclined to get closer to. 

“Well, if you don’t invite them - I will. They better be cuties, Steven, else I’m calling you out on your bullshit again.” Jenny sighed, recalling the last time that Steven had gotten caught up with some fans. It never quite ended up the way that he wanted it to. 

“Uh, they’re cute!  _ Really _ cute!” Steven smiled awkwardly before scratching the back of his head. 

“Don’t get emotionally attached, man. You know how it is.” Buck nodded towards his bandmate. Steven was a few years younger than them all and despite being the frontman of the band, they were often the ones to look out for him. 

“Emotions are for music.” Sour Cream inputted. 

“Look, all I said was that they were cute. Nothing more and nothing less.” Steven defended his actions, not wanting to admit his true feelings within. 

When he had seen the girl at the bar he wanted to get to know her so badly. There was nothing he wished for more than being able to find out who she was and what she did with her life outside of...being dragged around the country by her friend. 

“This isn’t going to be like that girl in Portland? Is it?” Sour Cream cocked an eyebrow. 

“The girl in...No!” Steven recalled the memory before defending himself, flushing red. 

“We all know you wrote that angsty song about _her_.” Buck smirked as Steven gritted his teeth together.

“There’s nothing wrong with being a romantic.” Steven shrugged, closing his eyes and pouting. 

"You can't just fuck your way into love." Jenny snorted, referring back to the many times that Steven had wanted one night stands to have been more than just that. 

"I don't do that!" Steven shook his head. He was lying through his teeth.

"That's _exactly_ what you do." Buck added, concern in his tone. 

"I don't!" 

"Deny it all you want, we know you keep all the cute chicks to yourself." Although Sour Cream wasn't bothered about the situation, they all showed genuine concern over Steven's situation and an unhealthy relationship with love.

Steven had always been so desperate to find someone to love, but being in a band made that far harder than it needed to be. Everyone he ever became interested in was only there to share weed or tick an adventurous box to say they had slept with someone 'famous'. Nobody ever wanted to stay. Nobody was ever willing enough to love Steven as much as he was willing to love them back. 

"Jeez, Steven. Save some for everyone else." Jenny laughed as she held her phone out in front of her. 

Steven sighed as everyone went back to their own business. He continued to think about the girl at the bar and how she had looked back at him with such kind eyes. There was certainly something different about her and he wanted to find out what it was. Yet, unlike a lot of the other times, he had attempted to invite people backstage he was nervous. She didn't look like the type of girl to want to sleep with him for the sake of sleeping with him. It didn't seem like any kind of relationship with her would have consisted entirely of that. 

He wanted to know her and he wasn't going to have been able to rest without finding out exactly what she was about. He had to muster up the courage to ask her to hang out with them after the show. 

Steven eventually prepped himself to go up on stage, speaking with his bandmates and hyping themselves up. Unlike the previous night, Steven had managed to finish just over half of a beer before making his way onto the stage to perform. He wasn't a heavy drinker, but it was sometimes the liquid courage that he needed to be as confident as he was when in front of a crowd. 

He pulled the guitar over his head and began to play each string, making sure everything was in tune for the show ahead. He scanned the crowd, looking for the girl and her friend that mentioned they would have been there the next night. 

Steven felt a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach, unable to see the two of them. She couldn't have been lying to him, especially after he had already told his bandmates that they had people that were willing to follow the band across the country. That would have been a disappointing blow to them all. 

He tried not to let it get to him as he played, the rest of the crowd feeding off his energy as he aggressively strummed his guitar. They had never played in this venue before, despite playing in the city last year. It seemed with Steven's dad having a decent amount of contacts in the industry they managed to get into most venues that they requested. At least, the venues that had a similar capacity to what they were about to fill. It wasn't much - but it was certainly more than the previous year. 

Star Destroyers weren't a big band. If you were to speak to the average person, they would have no idea who the band were. If you mentioned that the frontman of the band was the son of Rose from nineties hit sensation  _ The Gems _ then perhaps they would have followed. Other than that - nobody wanted to listen to some shitty emo band. 

Steven wasn't particularly a fan of telling people who his mother and father were. With his mom being a famous pop singer and his dad being a somewhat big manager in the industry, it was hard to relate to them on any level that wasn't regarding music. He never quite got the opportunity to spend more than the early years of his life with his mother after tragic events that played out. His father, on the other hand, was particularly close with Steven, but in a way that allowed them both to lead their different lifestyles without the other's interference. 

Despite not being the biggest band in the world, that wasn't ever something that Steven wanted. He didn't want that level of fame. He enjoyed music and he enjoyed making music for himself and the people around him. If he were ever to blow up, he would have to quit. 

If fame was the thing that killed his mother, Steven didn't want to have anything to do with it. 

"Good show, man. We crushed it." Buck pushed Steven's shoulder slightly as they exited the stage. 

Although the rest of the band were slightly older than Steven, he saw every one of them like older siblings. 

"No, you crushed it!" Steven argued as he tapped him back, a small laugh escaping from his lips. 

"You guys want to pack up and order celebratory pizza?" Sour Cream questioned as he jogged up behind them, still sweating profusely from the show. 

"We always order pizza." Jenny groaned. 

"Pizza is punk." Buck nodded. Buck was correct, pizza was most certainly punk. 

Steven loved pizza but had become numb to the ritual. His mind suddenly plagued with the thought of spending the night in someone's basement. They lived to couch surf and had managed to find themselves a place to stay for the night. 

Each of them had gotten comfortable staying in a stranger's house. Even Steven didn't mind, it was just a way of life. He was never one for material items, the flannel on his back and guitar were all he ever needed. 

Steven made his way through the back corridors of the venue, he knew a part of him should have gone back to be with everyone before packing up, but he needed a moment alone. It had been a great show, but he couldn't help but keep thinking about the girl at the show the previous day. Jenny was right in saying that he was a romantic, the words repeating within his mind. 

He hadn't seen the girls. Not like the previous night. He must have missed them, or at least missed one of them. As much as he even wanted to stumble across the mystery girl at a bar once again, he had too much anxiety to get the drinks himself, afraid he would have seen her again. He knew his words wouldn't have been quite so smooth the next time they communicated. 

Steven went through the fire exit at the back of the venue and into the smoking area, sitting down on a small brick wall and running his fingers through his hair. It felt nice to have the cool air on his skin as his ears buzzed from the overexposure to loud noise. 

Sometimes Steven appreciated the ability to get away from it all. The ability to dip into the middle of nowhere and find himself being the only person within his company. Despite his ears ringing, it was a beautiful silence. A distant chatter of people within the town participating in the nightlife.

He sat in silence as he pulled his lighter out of his pocket and flicked it open, pressing his thumb rapidly against the wheel to ignite it. The lighter sparked several times before he saw a flame. There wasn’t much in doing what he was doing, but he had left the rest of his smoking gear inside. The lighter was all he had to briefly entertain himself. 

Of course, later on in the evening the band most certainly would have passed around a blunt and he had to admit he was looking forward to it, but there was a slight emptiness inside of him that even getting high couldn’t solve. 

What Jenny had mentioned before the show about his love for romance was true. Being in a band was tough when most of the people who Steven claimed to like had only been there to sleep with him to add points to their popularity scale. He had been with people in the past who he wanted to develop relationships with, only to realise they were there for his status and not him as a person. 

Sleep with the son of a famous pop singer? Check. 

Make out with the frontman of an emo band? Check. 

Get high with a ‘famous’ singer? Check. 

Commit yourself to a relationship with the wannabe romantic? No thanks. 

Steven had never particularly been on the pursuit for love but hoped that one day the people who appreciated his music would also appreciate...him. As much as he was happy to abide by their sexual desires and his frustration, he hoped that one day they wouldn’t just want him for...that. It certainly wasn’t what he wanted forever. 

Steven spent a moment alone with his thoughts before heading back inside to begin to pack everything up off the stage. They should have done it sooner, knowing that the venue owner would already be somewhere backstage shouting at them for not cleaning up quick enough, desperate to close everything up. 

As much as he thought that the prospect of the two girls following the band across the states was a pipedream, it was true - Max and Connie were still following the band and they were at the show that night. The issue was that they ended up at the back of the venue. 

Max had managed to squeeze her way through the crowd to jump around in the mosh pit, but Connie spent most of her night at the back with the bar. A slight inkling of desire within her to want the man to come and speak to her once again. Although, this time he didn’t go anywhere near the bar. At least not what she had seen. 

Despite not being able to speak to the frontman again, she watched him with wide eyes as he played the guitar in such a way to mesmerise her. She had never seen anyone with so much talent before. She had played the violin for a short while as a kid, but as soon as her parents allowed her to give up on that, it quickly became an item better suited in its case underneath her bed. 

The music was still abstract and Connie wasn't quite sure if over time she would have found a way to appreciate it more. She loved the instrumentals, but the overall tone was slightly more aggressive than what she was used to listening to. 

Connie kept trying to get the thoughts of the lead singer away from her mind. It was insane to think that she wanted anything to do with him. He could have been...anyone. Perhaps Max was right? It internally pained Connie to think something of the sorts, but she couldn’t help it when Max’s words were so close to what could have been the truth. 

She desperately wanted to know more about the man, more than what the Wikipedia page about him could pull up. It seemed he had a rather tragic past, but that was something that she would have rather kept to herself refusing to completely believe what had been written on an open forum online. 

Connie had spent the whole show sipping on the tap water from the bar at the back of the venue, patiently awaiting Max’s return from the pit. As much as she enjoyed the show, she wasn’t quite ready to participate in much more other than holding the plastic cup with her arm and clapping awkwardly. 

Connie didn’t want to stand in the background forever, but for the second night, she was happy right where she was. 

"Come on!" Max held onto Connie's hand and attempted to pull her forward. Max was convinced that soon enough she would have been able to get Connie to jump around in a pit with her. It may have been a while, but she was willing to try time and time again to see if Connie's opinion would ever change. 

"I don't think so!" Connie chuckled, shouting over the slight intermission between the songs and shaking her head.

"You're missing out!" Max shouted back, letting go of Connie's hand and smirking. 

As much as Max wanted Connie to have been a part of her deep love for the music, pushing her too far wouldn't have been ideal. It probably would have made Connie hate the music even more. Max had to continue to remind herself that Connie was doing her a favour by coming along on the trip with her. It wasn't exactly the sort of thing that Connie would have embarked on herself without Max's prompt - she had no interest in this kind of music. 

"Maybe one day!" Connie nodded before looked back up towards the stage, the members of the band exchanging glances with one another as they prepared for the next loud song that would have blasted through the earplugs that Connie had been wearing so she wouldn't have suffered permanent hearing damage. 

"Fine!" Max groaned before patting Connie on the shoulder to make sure that she knew that she wouldn't have been too far away. 

Connie loved it when Max was having fun and even just being at the back of the venue and watching her jump around in the pit was fun for herself. Sure, the pit looked like it held a good time within. It was a different kind of fun that Connie wasn't quite sure that she would have enjoyed at a first glance. It looked pretty claustrophobic and sweaty. Other than allowing copious amounts of bodies and the music to sweep you away there wasn't quite much else to it. 

Bruises. There was going to have been bruises. Max had already shown her new collection of them appearing after the previous night. She was going to have been covered head to toe with them by the time that the tour was over. 

It didn't matter though - she was having fun! 

Fun. The tour was going to have been fun. 

Connie needed to stop worrying about the little things that plagued her mind - including the idea that the frontman could have quite possibly wanted to have spoken to her again. The first time had been a thrill, finding out he was the man that she was there to see. It was strange and satisfying all at the same time. 

Connie took a deep breath inwards and smiled as she watched Max disappear into the crowd in front of her knowing that she wouldn't have seen her again until the end of the show. 

Eighteen nights of this? 

Connie knew at one point she would have had to take the dive. 


	4. Washington, DC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max gets kicked out of the venue and Connie reluctantly agrees to sneak around the back to try and get back in...
> 
> Hijinks ensue...

The third night of the tour was most certainly the most interesting for several parties. It was both an interesting night for Star Destroyers as well as their newfound fans, Max and Connie. Neither of them had expected to cross paths quite so soon. 

Connie was incredibly excited, Washington was one of the places on her bucket list to go to and she was incredibly upset with herself that it had taken that long to finally get there to visit it. 

It most certainly didn’t disappoint and Max was happily dragged around every tourist location imaginable that they could fit in with a short space of time left before the show. Unfortunately for Max, Connie was the sort of person who enjoyed reading every single fact about everything there - especially when at museums. 

Although Max was also interested in the history that they were discovering, her style of learning was incredibly different and mostly considered a more visual experience. Connie studied the writing as Max took slightly blurry photographs of every exhibit they visited. They were useless, even Max knew that she wouldn’t have done anything with the pictures. She probably wouldn’t have ever looked back on them. 

It didn’t quite matter what they were doing, the two of them were having a lot of fun without having to spend every day studying. Connie valued her time with Max, it wasn’t as if she was all about the parties. Max was incredibly studious and although she found herself humoured by more immature things than Connie could have ever imagined - she was intelligent and loved college just as much as Connie did. College was important, even for people like Max who from a first glance, the stereotypes of an alternative emo girl would have suggested otherwise. 

They both knew that the journey they would have to embark on the next day would have been the longest yet, but it was certainly worth the travel. Connie was starting to get used to sleeping in motel rooms and spending the majority of the day driving. The drives hadn’t been too bad so far, but they knew they would have been in for a shock rather soon. 

The venue in which Star Destroyers were playing in Washington was going to be the largest venue they had played since the beginning of the tour so far. Of course, the show was yet to sell out, but they were hopeful. If they managed to fill the room they would have been surprised but would have enjoyed it very much. 

Considering the vast amount of small bars and half-broken stages that the band played on, the venue that they would have been performing in that night was near to one of the fanciest places they had ever played at. The band took full advantage of the laundry room that the venue had for touring musicians. It was a godsend. 

As much as Steven wanted to be excited about his dad being the one to have gotten them to play at such a fantastic venue, there was another thing that was on his mind. 

The band had nowhere to stay that night. 

They spent a lot of time looking online and seeing if there was anyone that would have taken them up on their couch. Most people were friendly and kind enough to offer, but Steven was usually the only one to worry about it for a long period. He couldn’t quite relax until he knew that everyone in his band had somewhere to sleep. The last thing he wanted was for them all to have to pile into the van. Although it was something that they had to do at some point in the past, it certainly wasn’t something that Steven approved of. They needed real places to stay. 

Steven knew that if worse came to worse he would have to dive deep into his savings to get them a motel for the night. None of them had much money aside from whatever they made from merch and the shows that they played. It wasn’t a lot, mostly just enough for gas, weed and pizza. 

Steven had spent the whole night worrying about it until he strummed a single note on his guitar and stared up in the crowd. As the lights blasted onto the large group of people in front of him in the distance he noticed a somewhat familiar face. The face he had been thinking about more often than not the past couple of days. 

He breathed heavily as the crowd screamed at him, it felt as if people went on for miles. He had never played in front of so many people. Not only were there people in front of him, but the balcony around the venue was also filled with crowds of adoring fans. He loved every one of them and yet - the only person he could truly see was the girl from the bar. 

She had shown up for another show. Well, at least her friend had continued to drag her along. It didn’t quite look as if she wanted to be there and Steven suddenly felt bad about it. He wished he could have played an indie song with plenty of reverb to spark her attention, but being one of their biggest shows to date he couldn’t have pulled it off successfully without embarrassing the whole band. 

As the lights projecting themselves on the crowd disappeared, so did the girl. Steven attempted to stare back into the crowd to find her once more but to no avail. She had disappeared like a ghost. He furrowed his eyebrows before wiping his sleeve against his forehead, everyone patiently awaiting yet another song. 

Little did Steven know that the girl had disappeared from the crowd for a very particular reason - her best friend had just been kicked out of the venue. 

Connie hadn’t quite expected to see Max being escorted out of the venue near the end of the song. As she had done throughout the previous nights, Connie had spent the majority of her time at the back of the venue with a plastic cup of water clapping on cue. Max spent a lot of her time within the mosh pit or, well, on top of the mosh pit. 

Security didn’t quite like the idea of having to catch Max repeatedly when they had shouted in her ear that if she surfed again she was going to get herself thrown out, she only assumed it was an empty threat. Little did she know that the security guard who caught her as she rolled off the crowd was more than ready to escort her out of the building. 

Connie noticed out of the corner of her eye, scurrying through the crowd to be with her friend who had suddenly disobeyed all of the venue rules. Connie pushed past everyone before finding herself at the venue exit. Like the last two nights, the stamp on her hand indicated that there was no re-entry and Connie knew that as soon as she stepped through the doors there was no way of getting back in. 

Connie didn’t mind, she was more worried about Max being left behind. The show didn’t quite matter, it wasn’t as if they weren’t going to be seeing the band again. Not only that, but the band had nearly completed their set. They would have only been missing out on the encore. 

“Really? Get off!” Max snatched her arm away from the security guard who let go as soon as they were outside of the door to the venue. 

“Sorry, t-that’s my friend.” Connie politely squeezed past the abundance of stewards in the building. They all watched as she stepped outside to meet up with Max. 

“Yeah and you can fuck off too, _chrome dome_!” Max lifted both of her middle fingers and pointed them towards the bald security guard standing by the other door giving her a dirty look. 

Connie didn’t say a word as she practically grabbed Max’s waist with her arm and dragged her away from the heated scenario. Of course, Max had been drinking. It wasn’t unlike Connie to look after her and put up with her bullshit. 

“You need to relax.” Connie instructed, somewhat frustrated with Max as she turned around and found herself walking beside her friend. Max adjusted the beanie on the top of her head and sighed. 

“They don’t know what it means to have fun.” 

“And you don’t know what it means when security tells you to stop.” Connie sighed with a small chuckle. 

“Fuck the police!” Max shouted aggressively before looking back at Connie and seeing her laugh. “C’mon Connie, say it! I know how much you hate cops.” 

Connie glanced around to check for any unsuspecting authorities in the area before cupping her hands over her mouth and shouting. 

“Woo! Fuck the police!” 

Max burst out laughing as they walked down the street together, the venue beside them still bursting with noise from the concert that was currently happening inside. Max was somewhat annoyed that she had been kicked out of the venue, but was having too much fun to care. This was what the trip was all about and some venues could be stricter than others. 

“Hey, do you want to try and sneak in the back?” Max suddenly suggested with a slight mischievous giggle. 

“That sounds illegal.” 

“What happened to ‘fuck the police’ Connie? I want her back.” Max shook her head as she placed her hands on her hips, disappointed that her friend had suddenly changed her opinion on the matter. 

“She was murdered by anxiety.” Connie laughed nervously.

“See, this is why you need more alcohol in your system at all times. It would improve your life drastically!” Max spoke as she led Connie to what seemed to be behind the back of the building. 

Connie knew that they most certainly weren’t supposed to be in the area, but it didn’t seem like Max cared at all. Max was going to go wherever she wanted to go, there wasn’t a sign in the world that would stop her from getting where she wanted to be. Nothing could stop Max’s power for destruction. 

As they walked around the building they noticed a small parking lot which would usually have housed large tour buses and vans, but instead, they noticed a couple of cars and a singular white beaten-up people carrier that had most certainly seen better days. It didn’t quite look like the glamorous tour bus that Connie had envisioned. 

“That’s their car! I’ve seen it in photographs before. They call it a van though - weird.” Max pointed at the people carrier as she gasped. Connie felt uncomfortable being behind the venue, she was certain they would have been arrested and taken into custody for their crimes. Mostly trespassing for Connie, she wasn’t quite sure what kind of crimes Max was possibly on the record for. There were probably several. 

“That probably means we shouldn’t go near it.” Connie suggested as Max was already beelining her way towards the van. There was no use in even trying to stop her. 

“It’s fine, they go near it all the time!”

“We’re not them...” 

“But we wish we were, so it’s _basically_ the same thing.” 

“That’s- Y'know what? Nevermind.” Connie sighed, unable to quite comprehend Max’s slightly tipsy dialogue. 

The truth was, Connie was pretty terrified of poor Max embarking on the journey on her own, which had been part of the reason that she had agreed to go. It wasn’t as if Max couldn’t look after herself...but she couldn’t look after herself. Connie was terrified that her friend would have ended up in the gutter after the first show if she hadn’t been around. Connie was okay with being the ‘mom friend’. 

Connie stood by the van and folded her arms, glancing around the back of the venue on the lookout for anyone that came within prying eyes of Max gawking at the large car. Max practically pressed her face against the window as she looked inside. It was exactly how she had expected it. 

It wasn’t very clean, but she hadn’t expected anything more. The 'van' was pretty worn down on the inside and looked as if the seats had been previously stained. The inside didn’t quite look very pleasant, but Max enjoyed the aesthetic of the candy wrappers on the floor and the stained carpets. 

“I will ride in this car before I die...” Max whispered as she stared through the window, her breath fogging up the glass as she spoke. 

Suddenly, there was a loud noise coming from the back of the venue. Connie turned around in shock, her entire body suddenly shivering in fear.

They were going to jail. 

“Someone’s coming!” Connie gasped, Max still completely entranced by the car. 

The back door to the venue suddenly opened and Connie instantly froze, immediately wishing her fight or flight senses didn’t buffer in the way in which they currently were. She wanted to run! Nothing. She couldn’t move. 

“That drum solo you pulled tonight - killer.” A monotone voice spoke as they exited the door. 

“Couldn’t have done it without you, man.” Another voice sounded. 

Connie stood in complete shock as three people exited the building, each one of them suddenly staring up at her in complete shock. 

“What are y’all crazy kids doing by our ride?” A feminine voice spoke in a somewhat aggressive and friendly tone. Max’s ears suddenly spiked at the noise, causing her to remove herself from the glass of the van. 

“J-Jenny!” Max gasped, noticing three members of the band leaving the building. Max’s heart dropped, this was their chance. This was her chance to get a ride in that car!

“What are y’all doing?” Jenny placed her hand on her hip, exchanging glances between a nervous Connie and a sudden anxiety-ridden Max. 

“We got kicked out of the show.” Max blurted out before pressing her lips into a thin line. 

“ _ You _ got kicked out of the show.” Connie suddenly corrected, not wanting to get on the bad side of the band. 

“Nice.” Sour Cream commented. 

“Kicked out of the show? You’re not troublemakers - are you?” Jenny questioned, trying to get a better look at them both. They certainly just looked like two strange college students. 

“Crowd surfing.” Max corrected as she swallowed her nerves. 

“Hey, I remember you!” Buck pointed over at Max, suddenly remembering her face from the show. She certainly did end up finding herself across the crowd more times than anyone else. 

“You do?” Max’s eyes widened. She had been noticed by the one and only Buck Dewey. 

“Yeah, I saw you surfing. That’s rad.” Buck nodded towards Max, causing her to blush. He remembered the red beanie on the top of her uncontrollable hair, internally questioning the physics of how it had managed to stay on her head throughout the show.

“This your first Star Destroyers show?” Jenny questioned, suddenly interested to know more about the two girls that could have potentially been about to rob their van. 

“N-no, we’re touring with you! This is our third.” Max nodded back to them all.

Two girls that were following them across the country on tour. Steven was right. 

“He was right.” Buck pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, lowering his tone so only Jenny and Sour Cream could hear. 

“This better not be like Portland.” Sour Cream threw his hands into his pockets. 

"Bringing up Portland makes me feel sick, man.” Buck shuddered. 

Jenny stepped forward, suddenly deciding to take control of the situation as the two boys spoke behind her. 

“Since you missed part of the show, do you guys want to come and hang out with us?” Jenny asked as she held her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. 

Connie couldn’t believe it. Was it this easy to get in with the band? There was no way that this was happening. Meanwhile, Max stood behind her ready to combust with excitement. 

“Wha-” Connie was in complete shock. It shouldn’t have been this easy. The third night? Really? Did Max have a secret gift? Did they have no concept of stranger danger? Was this a joke?

“Yes! We would love to!” Max walked forward and threw her arm around Connie who was slightly taller than her, holding onto her shoulder as she gleamed. Connie smiled awkwardly, knowing that now they wouldn’t get any sleep, Connie’s sleeping schedule had already adjusted itself to the night. 

"Sweet." Sour Cream commented as he watched the faces of the two women light up. Well, one of them more so than the other. 

"Security can't kick you out now. You're official crew members." Buck pointed his finger at them both before pushing his back against the door and granting them both access to the bright corridor. 

"Sick!" Max practically squealed as she stepped forward, past them all and into the corridor. Connie followed behind, slowly feeling as if she was attempting to control a kid in a candy store. 

"So, where are you guys travelling from?" Sour Cream asked as he took the lead in taking them through the corridors back to the room that they had accommodated for the evening. 

"We both go to Jayhawk, so, we're pretty far from home at the moment." Max laughed somewhat awkwardly as she attempted to make small talk with the band she was incredibly interested in. 

"Jayhawk, huh? Isn't that the super fancy college for smart people?" Sour Cream turned back as they reached a door, opening it up and revealing the inside. 

"Well, not  _ super _ smart, but-" Connie began as Max immediately cut her off with her excitement. 

"Woah! You guys have everything in here!" Max gasped as she stepped into the room. 

Situated around the room were several couches attached to the walls, the ceiling was painted with a fancy image in a similar styling to those that were in museums. There was a mini-fridge filled with beer and it seemed as if the band had thrown a lot of their things just about everywhere around the room. There were backpacks leant up against the long couch and a bizarre colour scheme of orange and purple brightened up the four walls around them.

"Oh, don't get too excited. Most of the time we just get a dirty old couch and a table if we're lucky. We've never played anywhere as fancy as this before." Jenny commented as she pulled out her phone to text her sister and tell her about how the show had gone - just as she had promised. She slouched herself down on a section of the couch, Max didn't hesitate to sit beside her, far enough apart for it not to be awkward. 

Connie wasn't quite sure where to sit, so found herself sitting beside Max on the long couch. She felt incredibly awkward being there, considering she had no idea who anyone was. 

"So, what are your names?" Buck asked as he found himself deflating on the couch, an evening of playing the guitar had been exhausting for the man. He was thankful for his sunglasses, being able to hide his tired eyes was a talent. 

"Oh! I'm Max and this is my friend, Connie!" Max pushed Connie's arm slightly as she smiled. 

"Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Bu-" 

"You're Buck Dewey, Sour Cream, Jenny and... where's Steven?" Max began to point to each of them, her knowledge of the band was exceptional. 

Although the band had been together for a while, it felt incredibly nice for someone to have acknowledged each of them. For the most part, people only knew who Steven was. Each of the other band members, although a huge part of everything they did, were sometimes forgotten about.

“Steven does his own thing after the shows for a bit before joining us. He is in a world of his own.” Buck leant back on the couch before pressing his finger against his temple, a subtle hint to Steven’s spiralling headspace he had to contend with day in and day out. 

Steven usually spent his time after the show alone before joining them all. It was mostly a way of him being able to clear his headspace before continuing the night. It was the best way for him to wind down after a show and they never questioned his process. Others dealt with music in their own way and Steven very much valued his time away from the rest of his bandmates, even if it was only a couple of minutes. 

“So, Max, Connie - do you want a drink?” Jenny questioned as she glanced over to them both. Their expressions being opposites to one another. 

“Sure!” Max responded quickly. 

“What’s your jam?” Sour Cream asked as he pointed down at the small fridge that was filled to the brim with beer that they knew they would have to pay for. Taking the cut from the show was worth it if they got to drink after. 

“Anything that gets me drunker than I currently am.” Max winked as she pointed a finger gun over to the pale looking man. 

“Nice. Connie, was it? You want anything?” Sour Cream reached into the fridge before dangerously throwing a glass beer bottle to Buck, Max and Jenny. He stared at Connie in anticipation for an answer. 

“I’m good, thank you.” 

“Good for you. I could never resist free beer.” Jenny sighed as she cracked open the top of the bottle, everyone else in the room doing the same thing. Connie felt somewhat left out as she balanced her hands on her knees. 

Just as everyone, minus Connie, was about to take a sip of their beer there was a crashing sound as the door burst open as if there was going to be a police bust. Connie’s heart dropped, anxious that perhaps security had found out that they had been let back into the venue and they were coming to make an immediate arrest. Her parents were going to kill her. 

Instead, a figure absorbed in his phone came through the door shouting about something that the two new guests didn’t quite understand. 

“Guys! I spoke to my dad and he managed to get us somewhere to stay in a place called Arlington. It’s like...a ten-minute drive. He said that it’s an old friend of his, he doesn’t have much room - but he does have a basement we could stay in. It’s not going to be fancy, but it will-” Steven began to explain, incredibly stressed about the fact he couldn’t find anywhere for the band to stay sooner. His words were immediately cut off as he stepped into the room and removed his eyes from his phone and looked up to see two people he didn’t quite expect to be right there in front of him. 

It was the girl from the bar. 

“Steven Universe…” Max whispered his name as she stared up at him, her eyes were starry with excitement as she held the bottle of beer tightly. 

Connie’s eyes widened at the sight of the man, not in the same kind of wonderment as Max, but in a way that expressed shock. The stare between them lingered longer than either of them would have liked to admit to anyone else, despite everyone in the room seeing Steven’s gaping jaw. 

“Hi, Steven! Turns out you were right about those people following us on tour. This is Max and this is Connie.” Jenny pointed to each of them individually, smiling widely at Steven. She was incredibly happy that Steven had truth in his words the other night after the show. It was incredibly hard to believe that people would follow them the whole way through the country. 

Sure, going to a few shows was normal - but following them through the whole tour would have certainly been a trip. Each band member was incredibly impressed with their persistence. 

“Connie…” Steven spoke under his breath, hoping that nobody in the room was able to hear him utter the name of the stranger that he so desperately wanted to know. He wanted to feel what it sounded like to say her name on his lips. It felt...different. 

Steven placed his phone in his pocket before silently brushing his fingers against his bottom lip. 

“They’re cool to hang out, right?” Sour Cream tilted his head for an answer. As much as Steven wasn’t in control of any of them in the band, they always felt the need to run things by him before deciding. 

As much as Steven hated it, they saw him as their leader in decision making. Steven was the one who wrote the songs and pretty much did everything else, wouldn't he be the one to make the decisions? The rest of them were happy to follow along with whatever he said and did.

“Yeah, that’s cool!” Steven responded suddenly, taking his eyes away from Connie for the first time since he had lifted his head away from his phone. 

Connie couldn’t help but notice him staring at her and unfortunately, she couldn’t help but stare back. He looked so much better in a brightly lit room in comparison to the dark stage that she saw him playing on every night. There was no longer sweat dripping down the side of his face and he had fixed his hair slightly. His face was covered in a slight amount of patchy stubble, but nowhere near enough to claim it was a start of a beard. 

This time, he was wearing just a white t-shirt with a star in the middle of it. She was certain that it was merchandise for the band as she had seen other people in the crowd wearing them too. His jeans were ripped at the knees and his recognisable red sneakers with a branded white line running down the side of them were battered. 

Steven went and sat down on the couch opposite Connie. He was sitting far away from everyone else as if he was isolating himself away from the group. Steven often felt different from the rest of the group. Perhaps it was their age gap? Maybe it was just the difference in their circumstances. Nothing was ever sunshine and rainbows. 

Although, being in an emo band Steven could have easily put his thoughts and feelings into a song that he could shout on stage. People managed to relate to his pain through music and that had always felt good, even if they didn’t quite know what he was truly singing about. 

“Beer?” Sour Cream looked over at Steven before pointing at the fridge. 

“I’m good, thanks. You won’t get to Arlington without me.” Steven smiled before noticing that Connie also didn’t have a drink on hand. 

“Well, do you want a smoke instead?” Jenny cocked an eyebrow, knowing just how Steven’s mind worked. 

Steven didn’t promote the idea of driving whilst high out of his mind, but a small smoke and a few hours in between wasn’t going to hurt. He had done worse in the past, unfortunately. He didn’t want to admit his past mistakes. 

Steven glanced up at Connie, he had never felt uncomfortable smoking in front of anyone before - even his father. Yet, with the stranger sat on the other side of the room he was somewhat embarrassed that perhaps she wouldn’t have quite agreed with their hobby. She certainly didn’t look like the type to smoke, but Steven wasn’t going to judge before he knew her. 

“Can we even smoke in this room?” Steven glanced around the room for any smoke detectors, despite knowing well that smoking pure marijuana wouldn’t have set off any alarms anyway. It was more of an act. An act - for Connie. 

“Shouldn’t be a problem.” Jenny shrugged as she reached over for one of the backpacks that were sat on the floor. 

Connie watched anxiously as she saw Jenny in the corner of her eye pull a small bag of pre-rolled blunts from the backpack. Connie’s heart sank. Was she going to have to smoke weed? This certainly hadn’t been on her plan of things that she was going to experience on the road. Drinking was one thing, but getting high? That was completely different. 

Connie had no idea if that was something that she wanted to participate in. She glanced around the room anxiously, eventually meeting eyes back with Steven opposite her. He couldn’t help but notice the slight panic in her eyes. She wasn’t a smoker. Not one bit. 

Jenny pulled one of the blunts out of the bag and began to light up, everyone hanging around in anticipation. Everyone watched as she took the first drag of the blunt, Max’s eyes practically lighting up at the sight. 

Jenny then stepped over to Steven and held the blunt in front of him as he was sitting down and staring directly up at her. 

“It’s got to go to the left.” Jenny chuckled, Steven, looking somewhat shocked by the tradition as if he hadn’t smoked what seemed like a million times before. 

Steven shrugged before taking the blunt between his finger and thumb and taking a hit, this time not looking back up at Connie, somewhat embarrassed that he had been part of the circle that was subjecting her to a new activity that she may or may not have been on board with. 

Steven passed the blunt over to Sour Cream as it made its way around the room. Connie kept a close eye on the object as it slowly got closer and closer to her. She dug her fingernails into the skin of her knees as it inched closer, slowly regretting not sitting further away from the middle of the room. Why did the blunt have to reach Connie before it got to Max? Why couldn’t Max have gone first? 

Buck held out the blunt for Connie, she didn’t quite know what to do as she furrowed her eyebrows at the dangerous item in between his fingers. 

“It’s okay. I don’t smoke, thanks.” Connie shook her head and smiled, everyone suddenly becoming slightly offended that she broke the circle. Connie was terrified of every one of them. They were all incredibly intimidating. 

“Man, you broke the circle. That's rough.” Buck sighed as he leant over and passed the blunt to Max instead who happily took it from him. 

“It’s not that bad, don’t you want a go?” Max offered Connie the blunt once more, seeing whether or not she would change her mind. 

“Nope. I’m good.” Connie chuckled awkwardly, once again waving her hands out in front of her. 

“Boo, we thought you were cool.” Sour Cream groaned, not particularly in a malicious way, but it didn’t mean that the words didn’t sink deep inside of her.

“Connie, c’mon...it's cool.” Max smiled, gritting her teeth together as she spoke in a slight whisper. 

Connie felt Max’s boot nudge against her leg as she kicked her gently. Connie felt slightly irritated that Max had suddenly favoured the friendship of the band over her feelings. They were supposed to be friends and Max certainly wasn’t exhibiting what it looked like to be a very good one. 

Connie’s mind was conflicted. With near enough everyone in the room having mentioned something about her losing her status, her body temperature rose. The room felt warm and her hands were clammy, suddenly finding themselves back on the tops of her knees. 

“I can’t believe you broke the circle. Max, pass it back.” Jenny instructed, Max’s heart skipping a beat as she said her name. Max was just about to attempt to pass the blunt to Connie once more when the first person in the circle decided to speak. 

“Can you all just leave her alone? It’s clear she doesn’t want to smoke - just leave it!” Steven shook his head as he gestured over to Connie who looked terrified of the situation she was in. 

“Jeez, Steven. What’s with you? We’re just having fun.” Jenny’s expression dropped. 

“Not everyone is having fun.” Steven scowled up at Jenny, unafraid to face her as he glowered. It hurt him to see the stranger so entirely out of place that it caused him to grimace. His mood had changed dramatically upon seeing the girl looking so upset. 

Connie noticed the disconnect in the room. It felt as if the four walls around her were collapsing. Hanging out with a band didn’t quite seem as fun as it first sounded. It was a lot of pressure and Connie wasn’t quite sure she wanted to be a part of it.

Everyone watched as Connie stood up and exited the room, a blank expression over her face. She needed to escape. She couldn’t breathe. 

Connie clenched her fists together as she walked down the corridor. She was desperate to get away from the room. She needed to take a moment to be anywhere but there. 

Steven suddenly exchanged glances with Max on the other side of the room. It had been the first time he had truly taken note of her, having selfishly focused his attention on Connie the rest of the time. At that moment he felt slightly bad about not taking much notice of Max, probably being the reason he didn’t see her crowd-surfing three nights in a row.

Steven and Max both sprung into action both at the same time. They were both overwhelmed with concern and although Steven hadn’t known Connie for very long, he was desperate to know that she was okay. 

The rest of the band watched as their newfound friend and frontman made their way to the exit, both practically stumbling into each other as they went. As they stood out in the corridor, they noticed that Connie could have gone in one of two directions, narrowing their chances of finding her. 

“We should split up.” Steven suggested, exchanging glances between both of the escape routes that had easy access for Connie. 

“Sure, I’ll go this way.” Max pointed at the corridor that led into the building. 

“I’ll go this way.” Steven nodded in confirmation, setting the course to find the panicked individual. 

Steven walked fast, suddenly picking his walk into a slight jog as he found himself exploring the corridors to the unknown venue. He didn’t quite see many people around, after the show most people had already packed up and left. It wasn’t as if the band had very long left in the venue either. 

Steven’s immediate thought was to try and exit the building, he knew that sometimes the best thing was to get some air - especially if she had just been inside of a room that reeked of pot and it wasn’t quite the smell she was used to. Steven felt guilty that he had allowed his friends to put pressure on the poor girl. It wasn’t fair and a part of him was still seething with rage over it. 

Why would they do that? 

Steven made his way out of a fire exit that was propped open, slowing himself down to a walk as he crept through the door, not wanting to disturb anyone on the other side if it wasn’t Connie. As he pushed the door open, he noticed a figure leant up against the wall, their arms folded as their body language shouted at him desperately to leave her alone. 

The young man furrowed his eyebrows as he stepped outside, watching the girl wipe away a tear that had started making its way down her face. 

“Hey, are you...o-okay?” Steven questioned softly, stepping as close as he could to Connie without invading her privacy. Steven was an incredibly intimate person and resisted the urge to want to pull her into a hug and try to make things better. He hated seeing people crying. 

Connie glanced up and noticed Steven stood before her, his voice was soft and sweet. It was an incredible contrast to the screaming he had been doing throughout the night. 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” Connie looked away, wiping her eyes once more as she tried her hardest to hide her emotions. 

Steven wasn’t quite sure what to say to make her feel better. There wasn’t quite a lot he could have said other than apologise profusely for his friend’s behaviour. 

“I’m sorry they did that. They can be real jerks sometimes.” Steven half-smiled, hoping that Connie would look up and see the sincerity in his expression. 

“It’s okay.” Connie sniffed, she felt a little bad that Steven had come out to comfort her when it should have been Max. She didn’t even know Steven. 

“I get them too.” Steven suddenly commented. 

“What?”

“Panic attacks. My therapist says that you should say objects and colours around you out loud. She says that helps with keeping your focus. You have to find a...focal point? I think that's what it's called.” Steven shrugged, handing over the knowledge that he had been provided. 

Connie looked up at him, rather than just being a man in a band who sang in front of a microphone he suddenly became...human. 

“I’ll...remember that for next time. Thanks.” Connie smiled slightly, feeling grateful for the tip on mental health. She could always do with more of those. 

“No problem. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, you seemed upset.” Steven placed his hands into his pockets and glanced away slightly. He was genuinely concerned about her, it was in his nature to want to look out for others. 

“It’s okay, it’s just - I’m not used to any of this stuff.” Connie admitted with a small chuckle. 

“I didn’t think so, but that’s okay! This lifestyle isn’t for everyone and sometimes I don’t even think it’s for me.” Steven pointed to himself, becoming more sincere with every word he spoke to her. 

“Really? Why?” Connie was interested to know more about the man.

“I don’t know...it just looks like the kind of lifestyle everyone wants - but it’s not. Sure, it can be fun. It’s kind of tiring.” Steven rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke, even after three days of being on tour he was already incredibly tired. 

Connie had picked up on the fact that Steven looked exhausted. His eyes were heavy from driving throughout the day followed by the show. Everything continued to pile on top of each other causing copious amounts of stress. Steven enjoyed his time on the road, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t take everything out of him to get to that position. 

“You do look pretty tired...” Connie commented as she chuckled, looking away shyly. 

“Is it that obvious?” Steven smirked, running his hand over the top of his hair. 

“Just a little bit.” Connie smiled as she pinched her thumb and index finger together. 

Steven placed his hands back into his pocket and grinned, shaking his head in the process. Connie wasn’t quite sure what else to say on the subject but stood awkwardly with the man for a moment before the fire exit swung open. 

“There you are!” Max sighed with a smile, making her way over to Connie with her arms wide. 

“Hi!” Connie waved before she could even comprehend what was going on Max had already thrown her arms around her. 

Despite what seemed to be selfish behaviour exhibited by Max, she would have always come back for Connie. As much as Connie wanted to be mad at Max for being on the side of some strangers in a band, she understood how excited Max was to be with them. She knew how much being with the band meant to her. That was the whole point of the trip. 

“Don’t ever leave me again!” Max sniffed. Connie exchanged glances with Steven who stood smiling at her overbearing friend. 

“I just went outside for some air.”

“It was too long! I thought we’d lost you!” Max gripped onto Connie’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. Her best friend was just fine, Max, on the other hand - not so much. 

Max was certainly still tipsy from spending the whole night drinking at the show and Connie wasn’t quite sure whether or not she had taken a hit of the blunt, she didn’t quite stick around long enough to check. Connie didn’t mind, it wasn’t as if Max’s lifestyle was anything to do with her. 

“It’s okay - I’m fine.” Connie smiled, pulling Max’s arms down away from her. 

Max turned around and suddenly noticed Steven stood behind her teetering on his heels as he awaited some kind of conversation that would allow him to leave them both to their own devices. He didn’t want to just...leave. He had to make sure they were both okay. 

Max turned back and stared at Connie with wide eyes. 

“Am I dreaming? Is Steven Universe standing right behind me?” Max gasped, once again moving her hands to Connie’s shoulders. Steven could most certainly hear the conversation, but it wasn’t as if it was an exchange he hadn’t heard before.

“We were just all in the same room together.” Connie furrowed her eyebrows, completely confused by Max’s logic. 

“But now he’s standing closer and it looks like he wants something.” Max threw her thumb over her shoulder before glancing back at Steven to make sure he was still standing there. 

“I mean, I just wanted to ask you guys if you wanted to keep hanging out with us until we get kicked out of this place? If you’re...comfortable of course. I know my friends can be a bit pushy sometimes, but they’re all nice really. You’ll like them if you get to know them.” Steven shrugged, directing his speech towards Connie more so than to Max. 

“He wants us to hang out! More!” Max gasped.

“Yeah...” Connie smiled over at Steven who responded with the same expression, completely entranced by the way that she looked back at him. 

“You’re Steven Universe!” Max suddenly turned around and stuck her finger at the man. Steven glanced down at his chest where a drunk and excitable Max had pointed. 

“I am.” 

“That’s  _ so _ cool!” Max gushed as she clenched her fists together with elation, bringing them to her chest. “You are so cool!” Max was unable to contain her excitement as if she was going to combust if she spent any more time with the band. 

“Thanks!”

Steven and Connie once again laughed at Max’s behaviour. Max truly was a riot and having her around made everything a little more exciting, especially for Connie. Connie had always been thankful for Max’s friendship and despite everything, they were always there for one another. 

“So, can I perhaps offer you a sober beverage?” Steven asked Connie as he once again found himself beside her, Max happily pottering along in front of them more than excited to continue hanging out with the band.

“Do you always offer people drinks?” Connie folded over her arms as she walked beside Steven. He continued to hold his hands inside his jean's pockets. 

“Well, you didn’t seem to accept the offer of the beer inside, so, I’ll only assume you’re after more water. Maybe spice things up with a lemonade?” Steven questioned, attempting to start a conversation. 

“I’ll think about it.” Connie smirked.

“Sober squad, right?” Steven grinned with a small wink to accompany his expression, somewhat lying about his alcohol consumption. He had a little to drink and had taken a couple of hits from the blunt - he wasn’t completely sober. It didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to dig around in the mini-fridge for a Diet Coke though. 

“Sober squad.” Connie responded, suddenly feeling as if she was a part of something bigger. 

Connie felt good. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Emo Steve loves you.


	5. Asheville, NC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> See, the issue with an old beaten up tour 'van' is that it's bound to break down - on tour. 
> 
> I think it's probably best to just call a tow truck...
> 
> Never fear, Max and Connie's newfound cab service is here!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I edited this chapter at 3am. 
> 
> I did not bother to edit it again. If you see something weird - stay quiet.

Connie didn't quite enjoy driving - especially long distance. She had been taught how to drive by her dad just after she turned sixteen and although she didn’t utilise the skill very much, she had managed to obtain her license. 

Part of the agreement of going along on the trip was that both Max and Connie would have taken it in turns to drive the distances between the states. Connie was starting to regret having agreed to it, considering for the most part she had found herself being the one to have to drive the most. 

This was partially down to the heavy alcohol consumption that Max constantly found herself swimming in. Connie had nothing against Max drinking and she certainly felt a lot safer being in control of the wheel than it felt when Max was there instead. 

They had decided to take Max’s car on the journey and Connie was happy to drive it. Connie didn’t own a car and simply borrowed her dad’s whenever she was back in her hometown, Beach City. It wasn’t as if she had very far to go when she was in town, mostly using the mode of transport to head down to the boardwalk or visit some old friends just past the beach. It wasn’t much - but the independence that driving the car gave her felt good. 

It just so happened that she had mentioned to Steven the previous night about being the one to drive through the different states. Steven had instantly been able to pick up on the relation, stating that he mostly had to be the one to drive the van they took on tour with them. Connie was curious to find out more, questioning him about how they got the instruments from venue to venue and other things that she wasn’t quite sure about. 

It seemed that throughout the night that Max bonded with the rest of the band as Connie had found herself sitting in the corner of the room beside the one and only Steven Universe talking about all kinds of drivel. 

Most of what they spoke about was Connie asking things about the band. She was honest in admitting that she hadn’t heard of their music until Max had bought up the tour, Steven didn’t seem to mind one bit. It felt nice to speak to someone about his work and receive an honest opinion. 

Connie had been completely open with him the entire night with her questions and Steven respectfully answered them all until they all got kicked out of the venue. Steven and the rest of the band had parted ways with Max and Connie - letting them know that they would see them at the show the night after. 

It was strange, the first couple of shows that they had attended Connie hadn’t seemed quite so bothered about hearing the music and yet now that she had spoken to the band she saw them as people who made music for fun. Human beings that wrote and sang music because it was something that they were passionate about. 

“I was kind of a shitty friend last night, huh?” Max finally admitted as they continued to drive to their next location. As much as Connie didn’t want Max to be down on herself, she had felt as if Max’s behaviour the previous night had been unacceptable. She wasn’t in a position where she was ready to call her out on the matter though. 

“N-no, it’s fine!” Connie gripped onto the steering wheel before quickly glancing over to the satnav. 

“No, Connie. I’m serious. I was super shitty and I want to apologise. You know how I get.” Max laughed awkwardly, feeling somewhat guilty about her drunken state. Even the frontman of the band stood up for Connie - Max didn’t. She felt awful. 

“I know…”

“That’s not a valid excuse though. I just got super excited about hanging with the band and everything else went over my head. Y’know...they feel guilty too. They’re not bad people.” Max shrugged, nobody should have felt peer pressured. 

“I kind of gathered after I entered the room and they apologised profusely.” Connie half-smiled. She had felt incredibly awkward about entering the room once again. It seemed as if Steven had managed to calm her nerves. It didn’t seem as if anyone in the band wanted to chat back against Steven. That meant that Connie felt safe when it came to walking back into the room. 

“I should have stuck up for you, man. I’m sorry.” Max sighed, leaning her head against her fist as she stared out of the window. Max felt terrible. 

“It’s okay. Besides, now we have to try and hang out with them again.” Connie smirked over at Max, changing her expression almost instantly. Max was beyond excited for the idea that they would have been able to spend more time with the band. 

It was early days when it came to the tour and Max still had ample opportunities to get close to the band. It was surprising to her that it hadn’t taken very long for them to get an invite to hang out. It was sheer luck. 

Max was certain that it wasn’t possible, although she had quickly proved that to be wrong. She used the aspect of being able to hang out and meet the band as a way to help sell the idea to Connie - little did she know that would have happened a lot sooner than anyone would have truly expected. 

“You’re into hanging with the band now?” Max cocked an eyebrow. 

“I never said I wasn’t into the idea.” Connie shrugged. 

“But now you’re super into it because you spent all night glued to Steven?” Max sniggered slightly, she could have been incredibly childish - but it did occasionally make Connie laugh. She appreciated the humour. 

“I  _ didn’t _ .” 

“Um, yeah you did. Look, I’m not having this conversation every time we drive to another show. Just admit that you’re super into the idea of getting with the lead singer of a band and get on with your life. That dude looks at you like you’re a fucking messiah - just go for it.” Max sighed before folding over her arms, quite clearly frustrated with Connie’s inability to see how other people saw her. 

Sure, she had shared a few conversations with Steven. That didn’t mean that they liked each other. At least not in that way. She certainly did enjoy the man’s company more than the rest of the band. Although that was an unfair statement to make - it wasn’t as if she had spent much time with the rest of the band. She had selfishly focused all of her attention on Steven. 

“Are you still trying to get with Jenny?” Connie rolled her eyes. 

“I respect Jenny very much as a person - she just happens to be an incredibly hot kickass bass player in a band I very much enjoy listening to.” Max breathed deeply. 

“Really?”

“Look, I haven’t turned on  _ Max-imum  _ power yet. I  _ will _ win her over.” Max was determined to make sure that by the end of the trip she had won over Jenny. It didn’t matter whether that was as a friend or someone to sleep with. It didn’t matter. She craved some kind of emotional relationship whatever that turned out being. 

“I dislike you sometimes.” Connie sighed, mostly at the horrible pun that had been overused far too many times throughout their friendship. 

“No, Connie - you love me.” Max nodded with a smile, her best friend not bothering to take her hands off the steering wheel. 

“Now that’s just pushing it!” Connie laughed, thankful to have someone like Max in her life. College had been pretty tough, but having someone like Max to take along with on the ride was great. 

Max chuckled into her hand as she continued to stare out of the window, watching the road pass them by. It had been interesting to have been spending so many hours in the car between the different locations. Neither of them had embarked on quite the journey before and the vast amount of miles that they covered gave a fantastic outlook on all of the different states that they had passed through. 

Considering Connie had spent most of her life cooped up in one state, the entire journey truly gave her a different outlook on life. Connie wanted the trip to be a way of her finding herself. A way of being something other than a bookworm and spent most of her time indoors. 

She wanted to have fun! 

Sure, she had turned down the advances of drugs and alcohol from the band and Max, however, you didn’t need either of them to have fun. She had felt somewhat awkward about the whole experience and hoped that the band wouldn’t have looked too much into it. 

They had already apologised. It was fine. Connie had to stop thinking about it, her anxiety was getting the better of her. 

“You have got to be shitting me.” Max suddenly sat up in her seat, turning around as she stared back at a parked van that was sat on the side of the road. 

“What?” Connie exchanged glances between Max and the road ahead. 

“You have to turn back!”

“What? Why?” Connie suddenly questioned, gripping hard onto the steering wheel as she looked up into the rearview mirror not seeing the same thing that Max had seen. 

“The band! That was the band!” Max gasped, practically jumping around in the passenger seat. 

Connie sighed deeply. 

“You have got to be shitting  _ me _ ...” Connie’s expression dropped, repeating Max’s words. There was no way this was seriously happening. 

“C’mon Connie! We’ve got to help them, what if their van is broken? What if they can’t make it to the show?” 

“Don’t they have Triple A?” 

“Connieeeeeeee!” Max groaned before placing both her hands on Connie’s arm, suddenly begging her.

“It could be anyone’s van!”

“It was their van. I saw Buck!” Max calmed herself down slightly, taking a deep breath before dropping her expression and glaring over at Connie. “Turn this god damn ship around, Connie. That’s an order from your co-pilot.”

Connie glanced over at Max, continuing to drive in the direction of Asheville. They were on their way to the next location, if they got stuck behind then there may not have been enough time for them to look around the city. Max had said they would visit all kinds of places - not just the music venues. It seemed as if Max was still super caught up in making sure she spent as much time as possible with the band. 

Connie didn't mind Max’s obsession with the band. Sure, she knew when starting the trip that Max was mostly excited to go and see them play. Connie hadn’t quite expected to get to hang out with the band - that didn’t quite seem right. How the heck were they managing to hang out with them? It seemed insane to Connie. This stuff only happened in movies. 

“You want me to turn around and help? What kind of knowledge do we have of cars?” Connie attempted to argue her point despite knowing that she could never win. Within the next couple of seconds she would have been taking the exit and turning around. 

“We’re good samaritans, ConCon...” Max pouted, using the nickname that Connie had a slight distaste to. “Even just keeping them company is considered a good deed.” 

Connie groaned heavily as she flicked the blinker and took the next exit. She turned the car all the way around, heading back in the opposite direction to try and find the van parked on the side of the road. It took a while to circle back around to the opposite side of the road and take their place just behind the van. Connie pulled up along the side of the road, right behind the van that admittedly did look pretty familiar. 

As she pulled the handbrake, she stared forward at the back of the van where she suddenly saw the band sitting outside of the vehicle. 

Max was the first one to pile out of the car, throwing her hands out as she made eye contact with each member of the band that was sitting on the side of the road awaiting recovery. 

“Mad Max!” Jenny suddenly shouted towards Max, the rest of the band completely uninterested. 

“Are you guys okay?” Max asked with concern, noticing the hood of the van propped up.

“How did these guys find us? Are they really... _ following _ us?” Sour Cream whispered over to Buck, slightly concerned for their well being. 

“Magic. Also, they just so happen to be going the same way as us. Logic depicts this was bound to happen.” Buck shrugged as he leant over to Sour Cream and responded swiftly. 

“Just...got ourselves a little bit of an overheating problem.” Steven scratched the back of his neck and laughed nervously. He was incredibly stressed about the whole scenario. What if they couldn’t make it to the show? They didn’t want to disappoint any of their fans. 

Connie stepped out of the car and folded her arms as she locked the vehicle and joined Max at the side of the road with everyone else. Connie gave an awkward wave to everyone in the band as they either nodded or waved back. 

“The tow truck isn’t going to be here for hours! We’re worried we might not be able to make the show.” Jenny sighed. It wouldn’t have been the first time that they would have to cancel a show due to the same kind of issue. They were all about getting to the show no matter what and they were suddenly contemplating sticking their thumbs out in the middle of the road in an attempt to get a lift from a stranger. 

“We’ll take you!” Max shouted without regard for the reality of the situation. 

“What?” Connie’s face dropped. 

“Really?” Jenny’s expression filled with both gratitude and shock. 

“Yeah! Well, we might have to make two journeys though...” Max turned back and counted the seats within her car. One short. 

The band members all exchanged glances. It seemed as if the fans that they had been somewhat burdened with were now becoming incredibly friendly and helpful for their cause. Max believed that if they were to help them with this favour then there would have been no reason for them not to have all become best buds. This was the opportunity in. 

“If you guys go ahead - I’ll wait behind for the tow truck.” Steven offered. Despite being the band’s van, it was most certainly Steven’s pride and joy. 

“Are you sure? We have no idea how long they’re going to be. Also, we can’t do a show without you, man.” Sour Cream commented, a little concerned that he wouldn’t have been able to make it in time. 

“We’ve got hours until the show. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” Steven knew he could use the alone time. 

Connie suddenly realised what was happening. She had suddenly become a taxi driver for a band. Back and forth to Asheville without a moment’s notice. Max had thrown her in the deep end. Connie took a deep breath in - it was all about the experience. She had to remember the mantra else she may have just gone insane in the presence of everyone. 

“We can take you guys to the venue and then swing back around for Steven. You guys don’t go on stage until late.” Max shared her well thought out plan that Connie knew mostly involved her driving back and forth. 

The last time that Connie had looked on the satnav, the venue was just under an hour away. The journey between Washington and Asheville was an incredibly long one and they had been driving since the morning. Both parties were slightly exhausted from the travel, despite the band being slightly more used to the lifestyle. 

“Are you okay with that?” The remaining members of the band turned around to face Steven, voicing their concerns. 

Connie raised her eyebrows, somewhat hoping that she had received the same kind of courtesy from Max. That wasn’t going to happen. 

“Guys, it’s fine - just focus on getting to the show. I’ll be there!” Steven insisted, pulling out his phone and quickly checking the amount of battery he had. It was in the high nineties after unplugging it from the charger within the van not too long ago. 

“Only if you’re sure. I don’t like leaving you.” Buck furrowed his eyebrows, barely visible underneath his sunglasses. 

“I’ll be fine! Besides, the van is in my name and I was the one to call the tow truck. They might need me here.” Steven sighed, only having a slight understanding of how everything worked. 

Connie suddenly grabbed a hold of Max’s sleeve and pulled her to one side. 

“What the hell, Max?” Connie scowled, unsure if she wanted to be driving back and forth just under an hour to the venue. 

“Hey, I’m giving you an opening...” Max nudged with a whisper as she gently coaxed the car keys out of Connie’s fingers. 

“An opening? What for?”

“Look, I’ll drive to the venue and you can drive back to pick up Steven.” 

“What? No way!” Connie’s eyes suddenly widened at the idea. 

“Well, I’ll pick him up then.”

“No!”

“See, you _ totally _ want to pick him up. We’re doing them a favour and I, my friend - am doing you a favour.” Max pointed at Connie with a smile. 

“Making me drive an extra two hours when I didn’t need to isn’t doing me any favours.” Connie folded over her arms once more as her eyebrows dipped into an angry expression. 

“But letting you spend an hour alone with the person you want to get to know better is.” Max smirked back, knowing that as much as Connie didn’t want to admit it she continued to hit the right chord. 

Connie glanced over Max’s shoulder as she watched Steven open up the back of the van and grab a bag and skateboard. He tucked the skateboard under his arm and threw the backpack over his shoulder before walking back and taking his place on the side of the road. Why did everything have to be so complicated for Connie?

After spending the previous night speaking to Steven, she did want to get to know him better. Their conversations were short-lived and disconnected frequently due to others being in the same room. It would have been nice to have spent some more time with him. A way of getting to know if the man was much else other than a boy in an emo band. 

At the very least, she was interested enough to want to get to know him. As much as she couldn’t quite make out the appeal of his music, she wanted to know where the inspiration for the music came from. What made him choose such a varying genre from the ones it seemed his entire family had been a part of? Connie had so many questions, most of which seemed to be wildly inappropriate for a stranger to ask. 

“Just know I’m not happy about this.” Connie sighed, looking Max dead in the eye as she spoke. 

“You’re going to love it. I’ll drive us there.” Max spun the keys around the end of her finger before winking and turning back around to the rest of the band. Max said that Connie would have loved a lot of things only for her to...not. It seemed as if the trip was starting to become one of those things. “Everyone ready?”

Max and Connie watched as the band grabbed condensed versions of their bags from out the back of the van - most of which were filled with a change of clothes for the show and an abundance of weed. 

“I’m excited to go and set up.” Buck smiled before clambering into the small car. 

“If we miss a soundcheck, I’m going to be pissed.” Jenny sighed, always relying on a soundcheck to boost her confidence when playing. 

“Are you _ sure _ you’re okay, Steven?” Sour Cream turned back and questioned, staring over at Steven who was sitting on the grass at the side of the road. 

“You guys need to stop worrying about me - I’ll be okay. I have company.” Steven waved his phone and a vape pen in front of him with a smirk. Sour Cream nodded in response. 

“So...Connie will be back in a couple of hours to pick you up.” Max gave Steven two very enthusiastic thumbs up. 

“Connie?” Steven’s face got hot as he stared up at the girl standing beside Max who was trying her hardest to look away. 

“Yeah? Is that a problem,  _ Universe _ ?” Max cocked an eyebrow as she placed her hands on her hips, suddenly getting sassy with the frontman of the band. 

“N-No.” Steven was taken back by Max’s tone, slight aggression in her voice. 

“Good because my friend Connie is skilled in seven martial arts and could kick your ass if you ever step out of line. No funny business - I know how you band dudes can be.” Max nodded towards Steven before throwing her arm around Connie in a protective stance. 

“Seven?” Steven’s expression dropped as he gulped. 

“Although not _ strictly  _ true - I could  _ probably _ still kick your ass.” Connie shrugged, somewhat fed up enough with Max to have been fine with every response being just as sassy as the next. 

Max suddenly turned towards Connie and burst out laughing, keeping her close. Steven wasn’t quite sure whether or not he was being accused of something he hadn’t done or planned on doing yet. 

“Connie! You’re feisty today.” Max shook Connie slightly as she rolled her eyes. 

Steven sat in shock, unsure on how to respond to the exchange. Max was a lot scarier when she was sober. Last night had been a breeze and now she was just...she was rather unorthodox. 

"Someone's making me feisty..." Connie growled as Max chuckled awkwardly, suddenly realising who she was referring to. Max let go of Connie's arms allowing her to stand up straight. 

"Anyway! My best friend will be back in the next hour or two to pick you up and take you to the venue. If you don't bring her back in one piece I'm taking the rest of your friends hostage. Alright?" Max smiled happily as she spoke. 

"Hostage?" Steven's eyes widened, trepidation running through his spine. 

"Ignore her. I'll text you when I'm on my way." Connie gently pushed Max out of her vicinity before turning back to Steven and speaking to him like a normal human being. Something that Max clearly couldn't grasp the concept of. 

"Okay, sounds like a plan!" Steven finally smiled up at Connie as he watched everyone pile into the car. 

Connie headed back to the car before suddenly stopping in her tracks and spinning around towards him. Steven watched as she got closer and pulled out her phone. 

"I...um...I don't have your number." Connie blushed before opening up a new contact on her phone and holding it out for Steven to take. 

"Oh, right!" Steven laughed. 

Steven held onto the phone and smiled, inputting his number into the small box. He tapped his thumbs against the screen before staring down at the keyboard. Connie furrowed her eyebrows, wondering what the delay was. 

"What are you...doing?" Connie questioned, curious to know why it was taking so long to input a number. Was he looking through her phone? There wasn't anything interesting there.

"Oh, I was trying to find the guitar emoji. That way if you had any other Steven's on your phone you'd be able to tell which one is me!" Steven beamed as he pointed to the phone. 

Connie hated him. He was hot and adorable all at once. A complete dork. 

"I don't have any other Steven's on my phone." Connie confirmed, much to Steven's newfound happiness. No other Stevens? He had a chance. Right? 

“Well, now you have one!” Steven handed the phone back to Connie. 

She glanced down at the phone and noticed the contact. He had placed a small guitar emoji next to his name without any shame at all. Steven was Connie’s first contact with an emoji next to it, so it wouldn’t have been hard to find. 

“Are you coming?” Max shouted out of the window of the car before aggressively slamming her palm against the middle of the steering wheel to make the car sound loudly. The rest of the band had already piled into the back of the car. They certainly didn’t look comfortable, but they would have to suffer regardless. 

“Don’t go anywhere!” Connie pointed her finger down at Steven as she tucked her phone back into her pocket. 

Steven glanced up at her with a smile, slowly bringing his legs to his chest as he hugged them like a child. 

“I won’t!” Steven chuckled as he spoke, the seriousness in Connie’s voice both being a tone he loved and had been slightly terrified of. Seven martial arts? Yeah, she would have kicked his ass regardless whether or not that was true. 

Connie smirked as she turned around and walked back to the car. She clambered into the passenger seat and everyone inside of the car gave Steven a small wave as they pulled away. A part of her felt terrible for leaving him behind. It didn’t quite feel right - especially her having to be the one to go and pick him up afterwards. 

The journey to the venue didn’t quite take as long as Connie had been convinced it would have been. The conversations that Connie had been a part of during the trip had mostly been regarding the band. It was Max’s personal question and answer session with everyone from Star Destroyers apart from Steven. 

They asked a few questions about both of the college students too. It wasn’t as if they were left in the dirt as they mostly spoke about their music career. Each of the band members was excited to hear about what the students had to say about certain aspects of their life. 

Connie was very much interested in what each of them had to say - especially when it was mostly about their aspirations around anything other than music. It was nice to hear that some of them had a partially extended plan of what they wanted to do with their life. Being in a band wasn’t quite what they did all of their time, but it was something to fill the void between everything else. 

It was during that journey that Connie believed she had started to understand and accept the band as human beings opposed to just voices through a speaker. They were each people who had different goals and love for different things. Connie respected them greatly. 

As soon as the band had made their way out of the car, Connie texted Steven that she was on her way only for him to respond with a text message that read:

‘Come quick. Very bored.’

Followed very quickly by another one that read:

‘Not too quick though. I wouldn’t want you to get a ticket!’ 

Connie cocked an eyebrow at the messages, the quick succession in which they had come through had made her laugh. She didn’t bother to respond, pulling up the sat nav on her phone and starting the car. 

The journey back along the highway seemed to have been a lot longer than the one on the way back to the venue. Connie didn’t want to be reminded that she would once again have to make the same trip on the way back - she was insanely tired. She had started to wonder how the band managed to stay awake whilst travelling so much? Did each of them take it in turns to drive? 

A part of her was nervous about going to pick Steven up. It would have been the first time that she would have been alone with the frontman of the band for more than a minute or so. As much as Max continued to tease her about Steven, she couldn’t help but feel as if something was going on inside the back of her mind that was pointing more and more towards Max’s theories. 

It was only a few days since Steven had bought her a drink at the bar, well, Max’s drink. He had been incredibly nice to her since the very beginning and she had taken note. She realised that she did very much enjoy his company. 

When she pulled up to the point in which the van had been parked previously - it was no longer there. Instead, it had been replaced by Steven with headphones around his neck, sitting at the side of the road flicking through his phone. He looked bored. 

Connie beeped the car horn and smiled as Steven glanced up in shock. It took him a moment to clock, not quite recognising the car at first. As soon as he realised who it was his expression immediately perked up with happiness. He was happy to finally get away from the side of the road, his boredom quickly consuming him. 

Steven waved slightly before stepping over to the car, opening the back door, throwing his bag and skateboard into the back and finding his place in the passenger seat. 

“One ride to Asheville, please.” Steven smirked as he glanced over at Connie, pulling the seatbelt over his chest. 

“Did the van get sorted?” Connie suddenly brought up a question of logistics, the car suddenly filling with a dull scent of what Connie could only imagine would have been weed from his clothing. 

“It got towed, we should be able to get it fixed by tomorrow. They’ve taken it to a garage downtown.” Steven confirmed, his tone suddenly much more serious than the perky one that he had been using when he got into the car. 

“Does that happen...often?” Connie questioned as she pulled off the side of the road and started their journey towards the venue. 

“More often than we’d like - but that’s the price you pay for touring.” Steven chuckled to himself as he pulled on his seatbelt slightly, readjusting it for comfort. 

Connie held onto the steering wheel as she concentrated on the road. Steven glanced around the car, taking note of each little thing inside. The car was an automatic and had a few band stickers stuck on the dash. Steven noticed the CD player and the auxiliary cord hanging loosely from it towards the passenger seat. There was a small tree-shaped air freshener that swung from the rearview mirror. It was clear that it wasn’t Connie’s car.

“You go to college, right?” Steven stared out of the window as he spoke, it was going to be a long journey, he may as well have sparked up a conversation. 

“I do. Max and I go to Jayhawk.” Connie was quick to answer, she hadn’t quite expected the small talk to be happening quite so soon. At least if they did it now it would have been out of the way and done with. 

“That sounds fancy. What do you study?” 

“Me? I study sociology. Some other things too, but that's the easiest to explain.” 

“What’s that?”

“Oh, it’s the study of society. The study of people and why they act the way they do. It’s pretty interesting.” Connie didn’t want to get too much into it, she knew that he wasn’t really interested in what she had to say about college. 

“That sounds pretty cool. I never went to college - seems like fun though.” Steven shrugged. As much as Steven was sad that he had missed out sorely on that part of his life, it wouldn’t have been the first time he missed out on something important that everyone else seemed to get to be a part of. 

Steven had a bizarre childhood, to say the least. 

“Well, if you had gone to college what would you have wanted to study?” Connie questioned, interested in what Steven had to say about the topic. 

“Can you study music at college?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, it would have to be music then!”

“It doesn’t look like you would need to go to college for that. You seem to have it handled without a load of student loans.” Connie laughed, it seemed silly to her that Steven would have even considered it. He had already pursued a career in that chosen topic - a relatively successful one at that. 

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. It would have been nice to go for the social aspect though. I never went to school, so being able to go to college would have been a blast!” Steven stared out of the window once more, his words somewhat vacant. 

“You never went to school?” Connie attempted to hide her small gasp. 

“Well, not traditionally. I was homeschooled. Sort of...” Steven’s words trailed slightly into a slur. 

“Oh.” Connie wasn’t quite sure what else to say on the subject. 

As much as Steven didn’t mind speaking about his past, he also wasn’t prepared to make Connie suffer by listening to him speak about himself for the remainder of the hour. He wanted to get to know the college student slightly better.

“So, now you’ve been to a few shows - do you have a favourite song?” Steven asked, changing the subject swiftly. 

Connie pondered on the question, still slightly embarrassed that despite them going to a couple of shows she still wasn’t completely aware of the names of the songs other than the ones that Max had shown her. 

“I don’t really know the names. I’m sorry.” Connie’s expression dropped in embarrassment, causing her to blush slightly. 

“N-no, it’s okay! They have stupid names, anyway.” Steven snorted, knowing that one of his songs was a reference to something he had seen on the back of a packet of chips once. Music could be anything and everything you wanted it to be and that was one of the many reasons why Steven loved it so much. 

“Like?” 

“Well, the one we play during the encore is called  _ ‘I Dropped My Ice Cream off The Roof of my Dad’s Garage _ ’.” Steven couldn’t help himself but laugh at the title. 

“What? Why?” Connie glanced over at Steven and chuckled, unable to hold it in at the utterly ridiculous title. 

“Well, that’s just emo. That’s just what this genre does, also - we were super high.” Steven gripped onto both of his knees as he spoke. 

“That’s pretty funny. Well, I enjoy that one - it’s very catchy. Everyone seems to like it.”

“It’s our most popular song!” Steven was happy to be speaking to someone about his band that appreciated the work that he put in. 

As much as Steven loved hanging out around the merch stand after shows to meet the people who loved his music, it felt nice and natural to have been speaking about it with Connie. An unbiased opinion on the things that he had created. He had wondered whether or not Connie would have enjoyed the different genres that he had explored in the past. 

It was even plausible that she had listened to his mother’s work and enjoyed it. There was even a possibility that she was in love with a song that his father had mixed at some point in his life. It was hard to find someone who hadn’t heard of his mother’s music. It was hard to even go inside a grocery store or turn on the radio without hearing her voice playing through the speakers. A voice of a ghost.

They had spent the past hour exchanging simple conversations about just about everything from college to what their favourite food was. Steven found Connie an incredibly interesting person to speak to and although at first glance he had been immediately attracted to her looks, he was starting to find himself entranced by the way that she spoke about just about anything and everything. She had such a way with words. 

After speaking to the girl at the bar a few days ago he had half expected her to have followed him or attempted to get his attention after a show. At least, that was what women usually did when they came into contact with him. Especially after he had attempted to flirt with them. Although, he wasn’t quite sure whether or not it was because Connie didn’t quite know who he was or if it was the fact she was just...different. 

Unlike the other women he had been around after a show - she had made no sexual advances despite giving him looks and flirtatious tones that told him otherwise. It was strange. It was confusing. Although, in a way, Steven loved it. 

Connie was there to...speak to him. She wanted to hear what he had to say and was finally seeing him for being a human being and not simply just a frontman with no emotional standing. He was incredibly appreciative for her and Max tagging along with them on tour and was more than happy for them to hang out whenever they wanted between shows. He wanted that. He wanted to spend more time with Connie. 

They seemed to arrive in Asheville just under an hour before needing to play. Steven instructed for Connie to park around the back of the venue and she happily obliged. Connie watched as he rang Sour Cream as a way of informing them that they had arrived and to try and let the venue allow them in through the back. It didn’t take long for Sour Cream to respond. 

“Thanks for the ride, by the way. We wouldn’t have been able to make it to the show without you both.” Steven smiled as he clicked open his seatbelt. Although he had missed out on soundcheck, it wouldn’t have killed him. As long as everything worked, he was convinced that the show would have gone well regardless. He had quite a positive outlook on shows and his ability to perform. 

Connie turned the key in the ignition to turn off the car as she looked over at Steven with a small smile. She had very much enjoyed getting to know him as they travelled. It seemed as if there was a lot more to him other than musical talent and she was suddenly desperate to find out about it all. 

“It’s not a problem.” Connie smiled back, just hours ago wanting nothing more than to just be at the venue and not have to drive anymore. They had already driven so much and Connie was now more than ready to fall flat on her face onto a motel room bed. 

“Is there any way I could make it up to you?” Steven held onto the car door handle, ready to make his exit once he had finished speaking. “Make it up to you both...” He added, unable to remove his eyes from Connie. 

Connie didn’t quite have any favours to ask of the frontman. There wasn’t anything that he could have provided for her. She certainly didn’t want to take any of his money, it didn’t quite look as if he had much of it anyway. Especially not after having to fork out money for the repairs on the van. 

“Max is a pretty big fan of you guys, perhaps you can just...invite her to hang out a few more times?” Connie gave an uneasy look, unsure if that was an unreasonable ask. 

“You’ll come and hang out too, right?” Steven questioned, not wanting Connie to miss out. 

“Well...only if you invite me too.” Connie chuckled awkwardly.

“Of course we’ll invite you! Plus, the guys love you both! I love you - both of you! You’re both a bunch of fun to be around.” Steven grinned before suddenly diverting his eyes to Connie. They shared a simple moment as they both stared at each other in silence. 

Connie wasn’t quite sure how to feel about the man in front of her, but whatever it was - it wasn’t quite something that she had felt before. She attempted to ignore the feeling inside of her, but it just kept coming back time and time again since the first time he had made eye contact with her at the bar. 

“Don’t you have a show to get to?” Connie’s lips curled upwards as she spoke. 

“Aren’t you coming?” Steven furrowed his eyebrows, concerned that she wouldn’t be coming to the show that they had spent all day getting to. 

“Yeah, just...I have a ticket. I need to line up by the doors.” Connie pointed behind her, referencing the front of the venue. 

“Ticket? No way! You’re coming through the back with me.” Steven pointed proudly to his chest. 

“What? Are you even allowed to do that?” Connie gasped slightly as Steven opened the car door and stepped outside. She was quick to join him outside as he reached into the backseat and grabbed his bag and skateboard. 

“Yeah, sure! Worst case scenario is they make you line up. C’mon, it’ll be fine!” Steven gestured for her to follow him as he threw the bag over his shoulder. 

Connie stared up at the venue, this time the building was huge and made of bricks. It looked more like a warehouse than anything else - the logo painted boldly at the back of the venue. You would have been able to spot it for miles. 

Connie locked the car door as Steven began to walk towards the back of the venue, causing her slight anxiety until she noticed a door open that Sour Cream stepped out of. Connie followed closely, not wanting to be left behind. She hadn’t heard from Max in a while and hoped that she was doing okay. 

“Dude, you’re cutting it tight. Opener are on.” Sour Cream spoke as he held open the door for them both to enter. 

“I wouldn’t have made it at all without Connie.” Steven pointed back towards Connie who was following them anxiously. Steven and Sour Cream may have been used to a life of making their way around the back of venues, but Connie had an anxious pit in the bottom of her stomach telling her that she shouldn’t have been there. 

“You and Max are my new favourite people. Stay cool, man.” Sour Cream nodded at Connie as she smiled back, somewhat happy that her slight efforts had been mentioned. 

“Where is Max?” Connie questioned, interested to know where her friend had gotten to. She couldn’t have lost her. They were responsible for one another. 

“Oh, she’s chilling with Jenny and Buck. I’ll show you guys to the room.” Sour Cream responded quickly, having spent the whole afternoon with Max. Enough for them to have even had food together, Steven and Connie were slowly regretting not picking up any food on the way back. 

Steven and Connie followed Sour Cream through the looping corridors in the back of the venue. Steven took lead as they walked, Connie watched him from behind as he held the skateboard under his arm. 

“Look who I found!” Sour Cream suddenly shouted as he pushed open the door to reveal Buck, Jenny and Max all sat inside of the cramped room. 

Unlike the last room that Connie had been in with the band, this one was incredibly small and dirty. All it had to it was a couch and a horrible outdated wooden border in the middle of the wall that went around the whole room. There wasn’t quite anywhere else to hang backstage, so the small room would have had to have done the trick. 

“Connie! You made it!” Max threw her arms above her head, excited to see her best friend. 

“Of course we made it!” Steven grinned as he stepped into the room, placing the skateboard and bag down against the wall. 

“Well, we haven’t got long. We should probably get ready to go on.” Jenny reminded everyone that they were there for a show. Everyone was relying on them to go up on stage within the next thirty minutes or so. 

“Sounds like a plan.” Buck inputted. The day had certainly been the craziest so far. 

“So, everyone ready to put on a show?” Steven stepped forward, placing his hand out in front of him, awaiting the rest of his band to join in on the ritual. 

Buck and Jenny all stood up and placed their hands on top of Steven’s, Sour Cream copying the action. 

“Hey Max, get on in here.” Jenny instructed as she glanced behind her at Max who was sitting down on the couch awkwardly awaiting a command. Max stared up with wide eyes, completely shocked at what seemed to be an offer. 

“You too, Connie. You guys are part of the band now.” Sour Cream insisted as he looked over at Connie with reassurance. 

Connie glanced over to Max who had the same expression of shock on her face as she had done every time that the band had even mentioned her name. 

“We wouldn’t have been able to make it without you.” Buck smiled at them both, continuing to hold his hand out in the middle of the circle. 

Max stood up and stepped over, speechless as she stuck her palm out and placed it on top of Sour Cream’s hand. Steven glanced over his shoulder at Connie who was still awkward stood off to the side, unsure on what to do. 

“C’mon, Connie. You’re one of us too!” Steven smiled back at her, gesturing for her to join in on the circle. 

Connie smiled, hesitant to join in on the fun. Although, the way they all smiled up at her in anticipation was heartwarming. They supported one another like a team. Like a family. 

Connie walked over and gently placed her hand on top of Max’s, glancing over at her with a small smile. Max grinned back, internally about to combust with everything that had happened. This was starting to be the best week of her whole life. 

“Okay, this is a Star Destroyers ritual. We count down from three and then-” Steven began to explain before immediately being cut off. 

“Star Destroyers!” Sour Cream shouted. 

“Exactly! Everyone ready?” Steven looked around at his close-knit circle of friends before looking back at Connie and nodding in confidence. “Alright, go get em’, Buck!” 

“Three!” Buck began the countdown. 

“Two!” Jenny shouted. 

“One!” Sour Cream laughed. 

“STAR DESTROYERS!” Everyone shouted, Steven taking the lead as he pushed everyone’s hands in an upwards motion. 

Everyone in the circle began to laugh at the silly ritual. It was ridiculous, but Connie had found herself so caught in the moment she couldn’t help but chuckle along. 

“Let’s make this a show to remember!” 

“The day when we were rescued by Max and Connie!”

“To Max and Connie!” Buck raised his fist above his head as everyone cheered. 

Connie exchanged glances with Max and giggled at one another. 

They were a part of the band...


	6. Charleston, SC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's slight turmoil amongst the band as they debate on where they spend the night. 
> 
> The 'two people, one bed' fanfic trope is overwritten. How about the 'two people and no beds' trope?
> 
> Connie finds a new hobby.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WAIT. STOP. LOOK AT THE ART BELOW. I SWEAR.

_Just want to say a HUGE thank you to @NamesTakenBud for bringing 'Emo Steve' to life. This is what the poor lad looks like in my mind and Bud managed to capture them perfectly. I am completely blown away by this and I'm crying very happy tears of joy. Help me. I can't stop looking at it and you shouldn't either. Keep looking. Don't read the chapter - just stare at this. It'll be worth it. Hold/right click and 'open in new tab' for full image._

* * *

Max had never been as excited as she was in the moment in which she had disconnected hands with her best friend and Star Destroyers. Elation ran over her as she decided that it was one of the best nights of her entire life. The entire show had certainly lived up to the expectations that had been made inside of the small room. 

When the band went to perform they had taken both Max and Connie with them. This time, they both got to stand at the side of the stage and watch them as they played. It was a fantastic experience for them both to have been able to see the band in all their glory. It was crazy to have been able to look out past the stage and see the crowd in front of them. 

Connie wondered how all of them got up on the stage every single night and played a show without showing any kind of anxiety. Connie would never have been able to do such a thing, although it seemed as if they had gotten pretty used to doing so show after show. 

“I’m going for it.” Max winked as Sour Cream’s drums dropped a beat and Steven began to shred on his guitar, accompanying the playing with lyrics that he shouted at the top of his lungs. 

Connie watched as Max ran and launched herself off the stage, falling into the pit of people who held her up with ease. Connie couldn’t help but giggle with her arms folded as she watched her best friend shout and point back at the band who were also laughing at their new friend’s excitement for their music. 

As Steven slammed his hand against the guitar and leant back against Buck as he played a solo. Connie watched the sweat drip from his hairline under the stage lights, a light mist spraying over the microphone as he shouted from the bottom of his lungs. A deep bellow that came out more like a growl, his teeth practically knocking against the microphone as he sang. 

Connie noticed Steven’s eyes occasionally meeting hers as he played, a small grin creeping up his face whenever they caught a glance at one another. Steven couldn’t help but be filled with confidence as she watched him play. Of course, he was already fluent in the setlist and Connie was starting to recognise the songs that were being played night after night. Connie’s support made the shows somewhat better. It felt nice to have someone in the crowd he knew cheering him on. 

After the show had ended it was incredibly late once again. The band had made their way back to the room after packing everything back up into the second van that was used to take their gear from show to show. 

Connie liked to think that she helped by carrying some of the equipment, the band insisting that they shouldn’t have helped - but Connie and Max were more than ready to work. It was fun! Max kept claiming that they had become roadies, but Connie didn’t quite seem to pick up on the name change. 

At least it was better than being called a groupie. 

“Oh shit…” Buck suddenly gasped as they packed the rest of the gear into the van and closed the doors for removal. 

“What’s up?” Jenny questioned, unsure as to why Buck was standing in complete shock. 

“Has anyone looked for somewhere to stay?” Buck glanced around at everyone in the band, each of them sheepishly exchanging looks of panic. 

“Um…” Steven bit down on his bottom lip. 

“We don’t even have the van!” Jenny gasped, the panic suddenly setting in. 

“Guys! Don’t panic - we’ll find somewhere.” Steven gave reassuring looks to each of them as he held his hands out, attempting to calm the situation. 

It certainly hadn’t been the first time that they had found themselves in a similar scenario. They had managed to get through it once before. 

“May I offer a simple solution to your problem?” Max stepped forward, her finger pointing up in the air as she spoke. The red beanie on the top of her head was hanging on for dear life as her sweat-drenched hair attempted to keep it safe. 

“What is it?” Sour Cream was interested to hear as everyone stood around and listened. 

“Camping.” Max breathed the word out heavily. 

“All our shit is in the van!” Jenny groaned, they had sleeping bags and sleeping mats inside the back of the van that they usually used when they stayed in different locations - especially people’s basement floors. 

“Well, camping does sound pretty fun regardless. Another night maybe? When we get the van back?” Steven pondered on the idea. 

“Sure, but that doesn’t solve tonight’s issue.” Jenny crossed her arms and pouted. If all else failed they usually spent the night in the van. 

“Do we have enough for a room somewhere?” Buck copied Jenny’s action of folding over his arms as the van full of gear disappeared down the road. Finally - they were alone. 

“The van repairs blew through the next few night’s earnings.” Steven shook his head, sorely disappointed in the situation they had found themselves in. Touring was supposed to be fun - not a headache.

“Call your dad. Ask for some help, Steven. Greg always knows what to do. Well...sometimes.” Jenny attempted to instruct Steven, the suggestion causing him to breathe deeply. 

“Nope. I’m not calling my dad.” Steven clenched his fists and sighed, looking away from the situation. 

Connie noticed his disconnect. There was a story there that she hadn’t quite been filled in on, although, that didn’t matter. All that mattered was trying to get the band to stop arguing. There was no point in bickering over it all. 

“Well, why don’t you come and stay with me and Max in our motel room? We booked one before the start of our trip. It’s less than five minutes from here.” Connie stepped in the middle and shrugged, offering the room to them all. 

Once again, everyone exchanged glances. 

“Oh Connie, we couldn’t acc-” Steven began, waving his hands in front of him. 

“Amazing! You two cuties are  _ amazing _ ! Yes!” Jenny cut off Steven's words as she threw her arms around both Connie and Max, grabbing them both in quick succession. 

Steven furrowed his eyebrows, becoming rather embarrassed by asking the two college students for more help than they could afford throughout the trip. It wasn’t their job to look after them. They had to look after themselves. 

“Five minutes?” Buck questioned, completely on board with the idea. 

“That’s like fifteen on foot, maybe?” Max inputted, realising her car didn’t quite have enough space for all of them. 

“Maybe about eight on a board?” Steven sighed, finally giving in to the suggestion. It wasn’t as if everyone was going to go back on the idea now it had been suggested. His skateboard was in the room, he would have happily have used it to travel. That way he would be able to have his few moments to clear his mind, getting fresh air as he boarded down the street. 

“Sounds like a plan. Someone better Boogle map it. Let’s go!” Jenny suggested, incredibly tired from the whole day. All she wanted to do was crawl up in bed, no matter where that may have been. She craved sleep like an alcoholic craved a drink. 

It didn’t take long for the entire party to decide on what they were doing. Steven still felt somewhat guilty about having to accept Max and Connie’s offer once again. It seemed as if they had done that a lot during the day and he didn’t want to take advantage of them. 

Steven had opted to use his skateboard to get to the motel, giving him time to clear his mind. Thankfully for the rest of them, there was enough room in the car for them to all pile in. Max, surprisingly, hadn’t had a drink throughout the night and offered to drive. There had been far too much going on for her to have even sneaked a beverage in. 

Connie found herself nearly falling asleep in the passenger seat as they practically drove around the corner and found themselves at the motel they were planning on staying in throughout the night.

Max went to reception to grab the key for them all, not quite letting the motel owner in on the fact they were having a whole party staying in a single room that night. They would have left no trace of ever being there. 

They all waited around the car in the parking lot for Max to come back. Steven skated round the corner and swiftly came to a stop, kicking the tail of the skateboard up and catching it in his hand before tucking it under his arm. Other than the skaters around the college campus, Connie had never really paid attention to the sport before. It looked like a rather fun mode of transportation and watching Steven glide so effortlessly into the parking lot was memorising and made her jealous of yet another talent he had. 

As Max came back with the key and instructed everyone to follow her for the room number, Connie picked her bag up from the ground and made sure that Max had locked the car correctly. Upon turning around she noticed Steven stood directly in front of her. 

“I’m sorry, by the way. I don’t want it to seem like we’re taking advantage of you. It feels...wrong.” Steven awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, his backpack held tightly to his back and the skateboard tucked under his arm. 

“Huh?” Connie was confused. 

“Well, this is the second time today that you’ve helped us out. I just wanted to say thank you. Really.” Steven moved the skateboard in front of him, revealing the scratched artwork. Connie glanced down at the bottom of the board, the picture was of what looked to be a pink lion. She appreciated the strange yet pleasing artwork, despite the number of times that Steven had torn through the bottom of the board making the image barely viable. 

“I mean, thanks for letting us hang out. You’re making Max happy. I’ve never seen her like this before.” Connie chuckled, glancing over to Max who was happily leading the rest of the band to the room that they had been given. 

“How are you though?” Steven questioned. 

“Me?” 

“Yeah - you seem to worry about Max a lot more than yourself. It’s not a bad thing, I can be guilty of the same thing sometimes. I sort of had to learn to look out for myself too, y’know?” Steven shrugged, a little concerned that Connie had sacrificed a lot to go on the trip with Max. They were best friends and Connie was happy to do just about anything for her, even if it meant that she was left behind or momentarily hurt. It was okay. 

“Yeah…” Connie held onto her bag as she gave Steven a look of concern. 

“Just...thanks for everything. We appreciate it.” Steven smiled, attempting to get past the awkward barrier that he seemed to have created between the two of them. 

“Hey, Steven and Connie - you coming?” Buck shouted across the parking lot, the door of the motel room wide open. 

Steven and Connie exchanged glances, a million things whizzing through each of their minds. Steven wondered what his band thought of the time that he was spending with Connie, somewhat anxious that they would have been judging him for it. They knew his track record when it came to the women that he had decided to spend time with in the past. It never ended well for him. Connie, on the other hand, couldn’t quite stop thinking about the words that he had spoken. There was so much to be said between them a lot of which they didn’t quite know how to say. 

They both made their way over to the motel room, it didn’t quite look like the fanciest place that they had ever stayed before, but at least it was something. Steven shut the door behind them as they stepped inside the somewhat cramped room. After having so many people inside, they suddenly realised that the room wasn’t quite intended for more than two people to stay in at once. 

“I’m calling dibs on the bed.” Jenny suddenly threw her arms up, splashing herself down on the bed. 

“Um...are you sharing?” Max cocked an eyebrow as she placed her bag down on the floor. 

“Sure, Max. Get on in here, it’ll be like a sleepover!” Jenny rolled over and spoke with laughter in her tone. Max didn’t hesitate to jump beside her, giggling at the gesture. 

Connie had suddenly been thrown out of the equation. She didn’t mind sharing a bed with Max, they had done it previously when they had stayed overnight somewhere before. They were best buds - it didn’t matter. However, Connie internally sighed knowing how much Max would have wanted to have spent the night in the bed with Jenny. 

“Hey, do you guys want the bed?” Sour Cream questioned, pointing to the second and last bed that was up for grabs. He looked over at both Steven and Connie as he spoke. 

Connie furrowed her eyebrows with confusion as she looked over at Steven, he seemed to copy her actions before throwing his hands up in his defence. Did they think something was going on between the two of them? What was Sour Cream possibly thinking? Why did they get offered a bed together?

“N-no, we’re good. You take it.” Steven stuttered on his words, suddenly speaking for both of them without realising. 

“Suit yourselves.” Buck shrugged, happy to have shared the bed with Sour Cream if it knew they would have both gotten a good night’s sleep. 

Connie stared down at her shoes, realising what situation she had been put in. Once again, she had been paired off with Steven. It didn’t matter how many times she wanted to try and avoid it, the situation just kept creeping up on her. The issue was, she hadn’t exactly been trying to avoid it at all. 

There was a part of her that wanted to be with Steven. 

It was new. It was exciting. It was strange. It was…

“Looks like we’ve just become floor buds.” Steven laughed awkwardly before staring down at the floor with a deadpan expression. 

Uncomfortable. 

Connie didn’t say a word as she placed her bag down on a space in the middle of the floor, hoping that maybe she could have used it as a pillow throughout the night. Steven couldn’t quite tell whether she was angry or not, but either way - he was finding it hard to read her emotions. 

Steven noticed what she was doing, placing his bag right down beside her as she sat down. 

There was an ample amount of floor space. Why had he chosen to place his bag down beside her? 

Connie laid her head down on her bag, looking up at the ceiling and noticing a slight stain on the paint. The scratchy carpet beneath her probably had years worth of horror stories to tell. She didn’t want to think about it too much. 

Steven hit his bag gently, attempting to make it as comfortable as possible before lying down beside her. They were still in their clothes they had worn all day and at the show. Steven knew he smelt slightly like stale sweat, but he had blasted himself with deodorant from his bag halfway through his skateboarding session on the way to the motel. 

Sour Cream turned the main light of the room off, nobody was messing around - everyone wanted to go to bed almost immediately. The day had been more than what would have been considered exhausting. 

“You should have just taken the bed.” Connie grumbled under her breath, Steven moved his head on his bag and looked towards her in the dark. The only thing illuminating her face was the streetlight just outside that made its way through the slits in the broken blinds. 

“Sorry…” Steven apologised shyly. Maybe it was a mistake on his part to have just accepted the bed space, whether that was with Connie or not. He had been too busy thinking about the awkward implications of having to sleep in the same bed with her and contending with potentially making her uncomfortable. 

“This carpet probably hasn’t been cleaned for years...” Connie laughed uncomfortably. If she didn’t laugh she probably would have cried. 

“I was trying not to think about it.” Steven chuckled as he laid on his back, holding his hands on his chest and mimicking Connie’s actions by regrettably staring up at the ceiling. He could hear everyone else in the room toss and turn as a way to make themselves comfortable. It didn’t seem like anyone had bothered getting changed for bed. 

“We probably should have put something down on the floor.” Connie suggested a little too late. 

“Hmm, yeah…” 

“If I wake up with bites from some kind of insect, or any other creature - I’m blaming you.” Connie knew that Steven couldn’t see her smug grin, but she did it anyway. 

“Oh. What kind of creature?” Steven smirked, suddenly invested in the conversation. 

“Rats.”

“Rats?” Steven gulped, he hoped there weren't rats. 

“All I’m saying is-”

“Can you guys either take it outside or pipe down?” Jenny groaned loudly, despite not being able to see her - they both knew she had her head buried in the middle of a pillow. 

There was a moment of silence as both Steven and Connie stared at one another in the darkness. They could see the slight outlines of their expressions, both of them desperately pushing their lips into thin lines. 

Steven began to snigger like a child, Connie quickly joining him. She covered her mouth and gestured for Steven to do the same. Steven chuckled lightly, covering his mouth before he burst into laughter and disturbed everyone. Connie let a ‘shhh’ sound escape her lips as she whacked Steven on the arm to get him to be quiet. 

They suddenly heard the movement of sheets as Jenny sat up and glared over at them both in the dark. 

“I will fucking end you both if you don't can it in the next thirty seconds.” Jenny gritted her teeth together in anger. If she didn’t manage to get some rest, they would have seen an even darker side to her that wouldn’t have been quite so pretty. 

Jenny’s response just made everything so much worse, the two of them now violently attempting to get the other to be quiet with gentle ‘shhh’s, childish giggles and playful touches as they tried to cover each other’s mouths. 

Suddenly, they got each other to stop as they laid there in the dark, their hands lifted above them, intertwining their fingers by accident. Connie could just about make out the silhouette of his face under the light coming through the blinds from the street light. She could tell he was looking back at her with just as much shock as she was providing him. 

His hands were so warm in comparison to hers. They were much larger too - soft. 

They both pulled away at the same time, realising they had lingered a little too long. They both turned onto their backs and continued to stare at the darkness above them. 

“Goodnight.” Steven whispered, furrowing his eyebrows with concern. He wasn't going to have been able to sleep. All he was going to be able to think about was that single moment. That single connection between them under the covers of darkness. 

“Goodnight.” Connie’s voice was barely audibly, nearly choking on her words. 

Neither of them was willing to admit how little sleep they had both gotten throughout the night. It wasn’t as if they could see one another in the darkness, but Connie could tell from the change in Steven’s breathing that he had dropped in and out of sleep several times. 

Admittedly, the floor was incredibly uncomfortable and they both knew that they would have woken up feeling stiff from being there all night. Connie certainly wasn’t driving to Charleston in the morning - that would have been down to Max this time. Connie would have been far too tired for that. 

It was late morning by the time that each of them finally started to wake up. Sour Cream was the first one to dip into the shower and use the bathroom, knowing that if he had left it any longer that he wouldn’t have gotten a chance. Each of them had gotten pretty used to washing themselves in public bathrooms before shows, which wasn’t exactly a great way to live, but a lifestyle that each of them welcomed. 

Steven and Connie hadn’t spoken much to one another in the morning, mostly exchanging awkward glances after accidentally finding themselves a little closer than what they thought the other person was comfortable with. They didn’t want to make things...weird. 

Except it wasn’t weird. They both wanted to be closer and yet - neither of them wanted to admit it. 

Max had agreed to take Sour Cream and Steven over to the garage to pick up the van as everyone else stayed in the motel room taking it in turns to use the shower. Even Connie had decided to make use of the facilities. 

Steven drove the van back to the motel - as good as new. He hoped that now that it had been fixed they wouldn’t have had any more problems during their journey. It had certainly cost enough, they really couldn’t have afforded for it to have happened again. 

After picking the whole band up and all piling into the van, they made their way across the state towards Charleston for their next show that evening. Max and Connie followed closely behind them in the car, they didn’t seem to go out of sight the entire time along the roads. 

Thankfully, Max had agreed to drive and Connie managed to nap in the passenger seat. They hadn’t even left Asheville until the afternoon, it wasn’t as if they had even gotten up out of bed until late. Admittedly, as per usual, they did stay up rather late. It was never an early night when they had to play a show. 

“I can’t believe they like us.” Max shook her head in disbelief as Connie slowly awoke from her gentle slumber that had more than likely made her neck stiffer than it already was from sleeping on the floor all night. 

“They’re your best friends now.” Connie grinned, rubbing her eyes without hesitation. 

“No! They could never take that title away from you.” Max gasped, holding onto the steering wheel as she glanced over to Connie. “Well, Jenny is pretty close. Did you see us? We shared a bed.” She giggled mischievously. 

“I slept on the floor.” Connie groaned before staring ahead at the back of the familiar van driving right in front of them. They really were...following the band. 

“All in all a great sacrifice, my friend.” Max stated in a poor attempt at a British accent. 

“How?”

“Well, I got to sleep next to Jenny and you got to sleep next to Steven! That’s a winner winner chicken dinner situation.” Max nodded with a smirk. She had been beyond excited for the whole trip, but after everything that had happened, she was on a completely new level of happiness. A level of happiness that Connie hadn’t even unlocked yet. 

“No. No chicken dinner winners. It was…” Connie shook her head. 

“What did you two talk about on the drive? Y’know...when you picked him up?” 

“I don’t know - stuff?” 

“What kind of stuff?”

“It was mostly small talk. He wanted to know about college and we spoke about the band and the stupid song titles they come up with. It was nothing.” 

“What? Like  _ I Dropped My Ice Cream Off The Roof of my Dad’s Garage _ ?” Max questioned, snorting slightly at the name. 

“Exactly that.” Connie sighed. 

“So, nothing sexy? Nothing that would deserve a ‘parental advisory’ sticker?” Max was incredibly curious to know what was going on in Connie’s life when they weren’t together. 

“No. Nothing like that. It’s not-”

“It’s just...I see you two together  _ a lot _ . You rarely ever interact with the others. Look, all I’m saying is you’ve nearly spent a week pining over this dude. Just...ask him out!” Max shrugged, preparing for Connie's next move. 

“Ask him out? Where - a concert?” Connie snorted before realising what Max was truly trying to get at. “It’s not like that anyway, he’s just...a nice guy.” 

“A nice guy? What does that even mean?” Max couldn’t help but laugh. 

“He’s nice! Nice to be around? He’s a good person!” Connie huffed in frustration, suddenly clenching her fists. 

“I can see the headlines now.  _ Steven Universe - Nice Guy _ .” Max waved her hand out in front of her as she spoke. 

“You are such a dick sometimes, y’know that - right?” Connie shook her head in disbelief, a small laugh escaping her lips. 

“Yeah, I know. It’s cool.” Max scratched the side of her face as she drove behind the van. There was a slight silence within the car before Max continued. “Well, if you like him you should let him know. I don’t like thinking about it - but this trip is pretty short-lived. We might not have this opportunity again in our entire lives. You have to seize the day.  _ Carp in your DMs _ ?”

“ _ Carpe diem _ ?” 

“I’m sure that’s what I said. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is - shoot your shot.” 

Connie thought briefly about her friend’s words. Despite her not always wanting to listen to the silly things that occasionally came out of Max’s mouth, she also managed to speak a lot of sense. Max was right about one thing - the tour wasn’t going to last forever. 

Was it stupid for Connie to have even considered trying to start some kind of fling with the lead singer of a band? Would it have even been worth it? Would it have been morally corrupt? She was sure that people did this kind of thing all of the time - but did that make it right? Would it have made her feel good? 

“I’m not here to do...that.” 

“What?  _ Do _ Steven Universe?”

“No-”

“Now, is it so wrong for a girl to love a boy? For a girl to love a girl? For a boy to love a boy?”

“No...but, I’m not in love. I’ve known him for like...five days. You can’t possibly fall in love that fast - it’s stupid.” Connie shook her head, there was no way that she believed any of that garbage. 

“Jeez girl, have you never seen a Disney movie? Man, your childhood was whack.” Max audibly gasped before sighing deeply through her teeth. 

“It’s just not feasible.”

“You can still  _ like _ someone though. Look, do what you want. I’ve just seen the way he looks at you. He looks at you like you’re the last woman on this godforsaken planet. You’re a damn goddess.” Max gushed over her best friend, wanting nothing more than to build Connie’s confidence. She knew how self-conscious Connie could be. 

Max wasn’t wrong about one thing...Steven certainly gave Connie a look that showed his desire in a single stare. He may not have known her for very long, but he had a deep admiration for her. 

They continued to follow the band until they stopped for food at a drive-through restaurant, both vehicles parking next to one another with their windows down. Max aggressively threw fries through the window at Buck as he threw them back with force. Connie pouted, knowing that the car would probably end up with a fry down the side of the seat that they would regretfully discover in a couple of weeks. 

Despite knowing about his lack of sleep, it seemed as if Steven had been driving the whole time. She had even looked up at the high vehicle and seen him yawning slightly. Little did she know that he planned to crash out at the back of the venue as soon as they got there, giving him enough time to sleep before the show. 

The band had managed to secure somewhere to sleep in Charleston. It wasn’t much - but it was better than sleeping in a motel room together with Max and Connie. They needed their space too, especially after spending such a long time with each other. 

Although Connie had been excited to explore the different cities, having been with the band meant that there had been very little time to have done any of that. Eventually, Connie would have lots of touristy photos for her to place up in her dorm room and send to her parents so that they knew she wasn’t getting into any trouble. 

There were still so many places for them to explore and so many opportunities to snap pictures and visit museums. Nerdy shit. That’s what Max had promised. 

Connie had found herself actively avoiding Steven throughout the night. It hadn’t got anything to do with him, but her own internal self conscious was telling her to stop. An internal screaming that just wouldn’t go away. It was one that was warning her to stay away, to not engage. There had been an awkwardness between both of them, which for some reason had seemed to make them a lot more distant from what they had been previously. 

However, after they had played the show in Charleston Max had insisted on hanging out with the band once again. This time, Max had decided on drinking heavily with them all in the room at the back of the venue. Steven knew that they wouldn’t have been able to go and stay with the person who had offered to house them until slightly later in the evening, around two in the morning. This was due to their unusual shift patterns. 

Despite this, the band were grateful that they had found somewhere to spend the night. It also meant that they were willing to bum around the venue for as long as it took for them to kick the band out. 

As per usual, the show had been a good one. This time, Connie had found herself standing at the front of the stage. Steven still managed to find her in the crowd and smile. It was as if he suddenly relied on her presence of being there to get him through the show. 

It didn’t seem as if watching him play music was the only thing that she had found herself doing in her spare time. After the show had come to a close, she had noticed that Steven had disappeared once more. It was a common occurrence for him to leave the rest of the band and do his own thing for a while. The band didn’t mind and Steven needed the alone time. 

On a cool and breezy night, Steven had found himself in the parking lot at the back of the music venue skating as much as possible. It was a fun hobby that he had taken to when he was younger and continued to pursue. Going on tour with a skateboard was always fun. 

“Nice moves,  _ Universe _ .” Connie smirked as she stood by the fire exit watching the boy in the flannel shirt suddenly trip on his skateboard in the parking lot late at night. 

Steven placed his hands on his hips and breathed heavily as he noticed Connie stood off to the side with a plastic cup in her hands. He could only assume it was water. Not only had he spent the last hour or so sweating under the lights of the stage, but he was also now panting heavily from all of the skateboarding tricks he was attempting to pull off in the parking lot late at night. 

“Yeah? Do you want a go?” Steven panted as he stood up straight, kicking the board over so it stood on all four wheels under his beaten up red Vans. 

“Hmm, I don’t think so.” Connie shook her head with a smile, she didn’t exactly see herself as much of a skater. Connie could have done just about anything if she put her mind to it, but skateboarding wasn’t quite something that she had ever wanted to put the time into. 

“Come on. You’d be good at it.” Steven insisted, popping the board up with his foot so he could grab it and bring it closer to Connie. 

It just so happened to be their first real interaction since the night before that they had spent with one another on a scratchy carpet. Their conversation wasn’t quite as awkward as they both thought, somewhat flowing naturally as they spoke. 

“I wouldn’t. You would just laugh because I’d most definitely fall and break my ass.” Connie snorted, tracing her finger around the top of the plastic cup. 

“I wouldn’t laugh.” Steven looked at Connie with a serious expression. He wouldn’t have laughed at Connie like that. That would have been...mean. 

“Hmm...I don’t know.” Connie gave the board by his feet an uneasy look of concern. 

“Would it help if I held you? You wouldn’t fall off. I promise.” 

Connie was right about him being the nice guy. It seemed as if she could never tell whether or not he was flirting with her or just being a nice person. It was so hard to know the difference with him. 

Connie placed the plastic cup down by the door and looked back up at Steven in anticipation. Was she going to step foot on a skateboard? Was this really what her life had come to? 

‘Carp in her DMs’? At least, that’s what Max would have said about the scenario. 

Steven watched carefully as she walked over to him, there looked to have been hesitation in her step. Steven held the skateboard underneath his foot, making sure that it didn’t run away without him. 

“So, how do you do it?” Connie placed her hands on her hips and stared down at the battered piece of wood on wheels, the grip tape peeling at the edges. 

“Years of falling on my ass.” Steven snorted, causing Connie to react in just the same way. 

“You’re not exactly filling me with confidence.”

“It’s okay - really. I won’t let you fall.” Steven took a step back, holding out both of his hands and gesturing for her to step onto the board. 

Connie glanced around the parking lot, noticing that there was nobody else around if she was to have fallen on her ass. Not only that - they wouldn’t have been able to see her gripping tightly onto Steven’s hands. 

Connie slotted her fingers between Steven's as she stepped onto the board. She suddenly found herself taller than the man, usually being around the same height - give or take an inch. Now, she towered over him.

Just like the night before, pushing her fingers between his was a new experience. She welcomed the warm touch and appreciated his firm grip. He was right in saying that he wouldn’t have let her fall. Connie trusted him. 

Unlike the night before, neither of them wanted to let go. The context was different. It wasn’t weird - Steven was teaching her a new skill. A new skill where he got an excuse to hold her hands once more to see whether or not the spark that flew between them the previous night would ignite again. 

Steven could feel it. Could Connie? 

There wasn’t much skateboarding going on as she stood on the board and stared down at him, unable to loosen herself from his soft hands. She didn’t want to let go. 

“So, what now?” Connie questioned. 

“Huh?” Steven had found himself in a trance looking up at her with wide eyes. 

“The skateboard?” Connie laughed, Max was right. Max was very much right. He did look at her differently from everyone else.

“Oh, right!” Steven chuckled awkwardly, continuing to hold onto her hands and gently brushing his thumbs over the tops of her fingers as he spoke. “So, I’ll probably just drag you along for a bit. It’ll help you get used to the feeling of the board underneath you. Is that okay?” 

Connie nodded as Steven tightened his grip on her hands and pulled her along the parking lot. Luckily, the asphalt below was smooth and had recently been resurfaced. It was the perfect place for skateboarding. Connie probably would have been much better suited to a longboard.

“Hey, this is pretty fun!” Connie smiled as Steven walked alongside her, pulling her across the parking lot with ease. 

“Yeah? I’ll have you popping kickflips in no time!” Steven chuckled to himself, Connie didn’t have much of an idea as to what he was talking about. 

“One step at a time.” 

“Sure.” Steven beamed up at her, unable to remove his stare as she rolled beside him. 

Steven didn’t quite realise that walking somewhat sideways across a parking lot and staring up into her eyes as he dragged her along wasn’t quite the safest activity. Suddenly, without either of them realising before it was too late the front wheel caught itself on a small stone, causing the skateboard to come to a halt. 

Connie was thrown forward by the sudden jolt, finding herself being aggressively thrown in the chest of Steven Universe. Steven immediately let go of her hands in an attempt to catch her. Connie placed her hands towards his chest as she fell, attempting to regain her balance. 

“Hey, you said you wouldn’t let me fall!” Connie began to laugh as she pressed her hands against his chest, not quite realising that his arms had fallen around her as a way to hold her up if she were to fall further. 

“I caught you, didn’t I?” Steven held her close, not clocking onto quite how close they really were. Face to face. Just inches apart. So close that Connie could feel the breath of his slight whisper against her lips. 

“Yeah, you did.” Connie sniggered, pressing her hands against his chest and realising that he had kept his arms locked around her. As she applied pressure to his arms by leaning back, they quickly detached.

Steven gave Connie an apologetic look as they took a step back from one another. He didn’t mean to let her fall and he certainly didn’t mean to impose anything on them both. There was clearly some incredibly awkward flirting going on that neither of them quite understood. 

Steven had always been so smooth with women and yet Connie was an enigma. Perhaps he was just smooth with other partners because they wanted him as nothing more than someone to sleep with. They were willing to listen to whatever he had to say if it meant they would have gotten to have sex with the frontman of the band. 

Was he always this awkward? 

His palms were clammy. He could tell he was nervous, but why? 

“Heh, I forgot to mention that skateboards don’t fare well with any kind of bump or rock. Rule number one.” Steven laughed before scratching the back of his neck as a way of escaping the awkward conversation. 

“It would have been nice to know that before.” Connie shook her head with a smile, not quite feeling as awkward as she should have been about stumbling into Steven like a fool. 

“Rule number two - Steven will always give you advice after you need it, never before. Be careful.” Steven began to speak about himself in the third person as he kicked up the skateboard and caught it in his hand. Naturally, they both made their way back towards the door. 

Steven decided to sit down beside the fire exit, leaning his back up against the brick wall. He sat far enough away from Connie’s drink to not knock it over. Connie went and sat herself down beside him - perhaps a little bit closer than two people who would have called themselves friends. 

Steven pulled out a small device from his back pocket, Connie wasn’t quite sure what it was at first. 

“Do you mind if I-” Steven held up the device, Connie suddenly realising that it must have been a vape. It didn’t take her long to clock onto the fact that it probably didn’t contain nicotine. 

“No - it’s fine.” Connie waved her hand, assuring it was okay for him to smoke. 

Connie had never been a fan of smokers and had certainly scolded the stoner kids in college on multiple occasions. It was the sort of thing that she had been raised to be repulsed by and then when Steven did it - it seemed so normal. 

“Do you want some? It’s not as harsh as a joint, but seems to work a little faster.” Steven took a puff of the device before offering it to Connie. He glanced over, not wanting to make her uncomfortable. “You don’t have to if you don’t want to - I’m just trying to be polite.” He chuckled. 

“What does it make you feel like?” Connie questioned, genuinely curious. “Weed, I mean.” She added. 

“Um...numb? A good kind of numb.” Steven shrugged, glancing down at the vape pen. 

“What does that feel like?” 

“It makes a black and white world a little more interesting - even if just for a while.” Steven looked up and smiled at her, his words somewhat poetic with meaning and intent. 

Connie looked down and picked at the skin around her fingernails. Steven noticed her disengagement, distracting himself for just a second with another puff. Connie could smell the vape as the breeze gently swept in her direction. Unlike all the other times that she had been subjected to the pungent smell of weed, the vape seemed a little less intense. A much cleaner and herbal smell. 

“I hate to say it - but you’re kind of selling it to me.” Connie laughed. Her parents would have killed her simply for that comment. 

“Yeah?”

“-But I could never.” Connie came to her final decision. She couldn’t be stupid and she certainly wasn’t going to be getting high with Steven Universe any time soon. 

“That’s okay. I’d probably say the same if I were you. I left home when I was seventeen and then when someone offered me a joint - I never looked back. I guess I was just angry at the time, I wanted to do anything and everything to not be...me.” Steven shrugged, taking yet another puff of the vape. He knew he would have regretted the quick succession not long after. 

Connie watched the vapour float above her head. 

“I thought that when I went to college I could become someone completely different. I failed miserably on that one.” Connie laughed, continuing to pick at the skin around her fingernails. 

“It’s weird how we’re all so desperate to be someone else. Why can’t we just be satisfied with what we’ve got?” Steven turned the pen in his hand, suddenly bringing his knees to his chest as he sat against the wall. 

“Because humans are needy and never satisfied.” 

“Too right. Sounds like my family.” 

“Sounds like my parents.” Connie snorted, looking away as she suddenly found herself relating to someone who she once thought she would never have anything in common with. 

“What are they like?"

“Where do I start? Overbearing? Controlling? Invasive?” 

“I’m surprised you haven’t rebelled yet.” Steven laughed, speaking from his own experiences. 

“I’m here, aren’t I? They think I’m on a historical tour of the USA with my non-existent friends from college.” Connie smirked. 

“Ooo, that’s good.” Steven nodded, appreciating her rebellion. That was pretty punk. 

“They would kill me if they found out where I was.” The young college student tittered as she ran her fingers through her hair. Just thinking about her parents gave her immense anxiety. She never wanted to disappoint them - but she wanted to be someone that she could be proud of too. 

“Well, there’s no harm in living a little.” 

“You sound like Max.”

“That’s because Max is right.” 

“Don’t you dare tell her you said that.” Connie sniggered, pointing up at Steven as to be some kind of threat. 

"Okay! Okay! I won't!" Steven laughed as he waved his hands up to defend himself. 

"How about you? What’s your family like?" Connie asked, he hadn't mentioned his mother. She wasn't willing to bring it up after what she had read about her on his Wikipedia page. 

"Um, most of my family are just people I was raised around. I don't really talk about them. But, my dad? He's pretty cool. I don't think he quite... _ gets it _ sometimes and we can end up clashing. Not in a bad way - just it's hard for him to see things how I see them. It’s sort of my fault for trying to distance myself, I guess…” Steven’s words were somewhat broken as he shrugged his shoulders after speaking, putting his lips to the end of the vape and then suddenly deciding against taking another drag. 

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Connie spoke faintly, not quite sure how to respond to him. He looked pretty down about the comments that had made himself. 

“It’s okay. It’s what I get for being the son of a  _ Gem _ .” Steven waved his hands as he laughed, snorting slightly at the name. 

“That’s pretty crazy though...they’re always on the radio. I can’t believe you’re…” 

“Don’t. I know - related.” Steven sighed as he finished Connie’s sentence. 

“I was going to say ‘so humble’. I probably wouldn’t be able to stop talking about it.” Connie shook her head, imagining what it could have possibly been like to live in Steven’s shoes. 

“Well, sometimes you get pretty sick of talking about it when that’s the only thing that people see in you. You don’t even feel like a real person. All you are is a product of what they once were and the expectations everyone sets for you is far beyond what you’re capable of. Why can’t people accept that I want something different? I don’t want to be like her. I want to be me!” Steven ranted, trying not to raise his voice. He was suddenly caught inside of his own emotions and sighed deeply at the end of his speech. “It’s...hard.” Steven added before taking a long drag of the vape pen. It wasn’t working. 

Connie wasn’t quite sure what to say to him, she could hear the pain and distance in his voice. They had hit a nerve when they spoke to one another, Connie had never intended for her to cause him to hurt. 

“I’m sorry.” Connie mumbled. 

“No! I’m sorry, I-I shouldn’t be speaking about this. I barely even know you and I’m offloading all my baggage. I didn’t mean to-” Steven became stressed by his own words, digging his fingernails into his knees as he spoke. 

He suddenly felt a warm presence on the top of his hand. Another hand. Connie’s hand. Steven breathed deeply as he stopped ranting to himself, the touch calming him down almost instantly. 

“It’s okay. You’re human - you’re allowed to feel things. I’m happy to listen.” Connie gently rubbed her thumb against the top of Steven’s hand causing him to turn his head and look directly at her once more. He never seemed to have been able to stop looking at her. 

“Y-you want to listen to...me?” Steven cocked his eyebrow, completely out of his depth. Nobody had ever spoken to him in the way that Connie had. Steven was so used to having to pay someone to listen to his issues that having Connie listen to him for five minutes was beyond him. 

“Of course I do, silly.” Connie smiled. She wanted to listen to Steven and hear what he had to say about just about anything. She was interested in him as a person and not so much his music which was the first time that anyone had done that in his life. It felt strange to hear her say the words, but he welcomed them with open arms.

Steven glanced back down to Connie’s hand that sat so perfectly on top of his. Connie got slightly anxious that she was becoming far too suggestive and pulled away, not wanting to bring any more unwanted awkward attention between them. 

“Thanks.” Steven smiled at her sweetly, somewhat upset that she had removed her hand. 

“Anytime.” Connie nodded back with little effort, happiness in her tone. 

Although Connie had unsuccessfully attempted learning a new skill, there was one thing that she was starting to learn a lot more about...

Steven Universe. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now, scroll back up and look at Emo Steve again. He's too cute. DO IT.


	7. Birmingham, AL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for a camping trip. Connie struggles to sleep and finds herself following a melodic noise to the edge of the forest. It turns out Steven also can't sleep...

After Steven and Connie’s somewhat deep conversation the night before, they had quickly gone their separate ways after the rest of the band had gone in search of Steven. Max and Connie went back to a motel room where Connie was pleased to have the ability to sleep in a bed rather than the floor. 

The band were happy to know that the next day of the tour was simply nothing more than travelling. When trying to book the tour, if the states in between were a much longer car journey than usual they would try to extend the days in which they played. Having a night off meant that they could relax throughout the evening and be ready for the next day with minimal fatigue. 

Steven loved it when they had a day off. It gave them time to explore whatever city they had been put into for the night. 

With a free day to spare, they decided to spend their first full day away from tour travelling as long as they possibly could. The car journey between Charleston and Birmingham was around six hours long and they were happy to have taken their time in trying to get there. 

This time, Max and Connie didn’t manage to keep up with the band whatsoever. They had slept in far later than anticipated and made their way slowly across the states. There was no need to rush if they had a whole day to waste doing just about anything that they wanted. 

Max had promised nerdy shit throughout the journey and Connie was convinced that she wasn’t going to live up to that promise. Connie wanted to make sure that when they weren’t spending their time with the band they were hanging out just as any other pair of best friends would. 

As they had been spending so much time with the band it was nice to be just the two of them together for once since they had been at college. They were practically attached at the hip when they were there, which always seemed strange to other peers and mentors. They certainly looked like quite the odd pair. 

Most of their day had been spent exploring several of the tourist locations in Atlanta. Neither of them had ever been there before and spending the day touring through was fantastic. Connie was certain she would have rated it one of the best days on the trip so far. At least, that accounted for the days and not the nights where they spent the whole time watching an emo band slam their hands against instruments and shout about their emotional hardships. 

It was pretty late in the day when Connie received a text out of the blue from a familiar-looking contact who hadn’t sent her any messages since they were in Asheville. The small guitar emoji sat by his name as she glanced down at the unopened text, Max was beside her completely entranced by a wordy looking exhibit at the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. They were enjoying themselves far too much - there was far too much information to absorb. 

“I thought we had a no phones rule?” Max scowled as she glanced over to Connie, taking her eyes away from her reading. 

“It might be my parents!” Connie rolled her eyes. She had already seen the emoji on-screen and was currently in the process of unlocking her phone - it wasn’t her parents. 

“Are your parents more important than the extensive history of the American Civil Rights Movement?” Max shook her head as she stared at Connie who was completely ignoring her, too engrossed in her phone to even look up. “I think the  _ fuck _ not...” Max mumbled before focusing her attention back on the exhibit. 

Connie looked down at the text. 

‘We’re going camping just outside of Birmingham tonight. Do you and Max want to come?’ 

Steven’s words were simple and friendly. There wasn’t much more to them. 

Connie watched as another text came through. 

‘I say ‘camping’...I mostly just mean a blanket on the floor underneath the stars.’ 

And another. 

‘Better than the floor the other night though - right? Haha!’ 

And then another…

‘Anyway...think you can make it? Would be great to have you both there.’ 

Connie bit the bottom of her lip as she looked down at her phone before glancing back up to Max who she could still tell was slightly mad about Connie using her phone for something other than taking photographs of things to read about later on. 

“Hey, Max?”

“Wassup? The folks calling you back home?” 

“Are you much of a camper?” Connie cocked an eyebrow as she popped the question. 

“A  _ camper _ ? I would  _ never _ . My playstyle is more ‘run and gun’ - I hate campers.” Max shook her head. Connie glanced off to the side, completely perplexed by her friend’s words. Was she referring to a...video game? 

“Wait, what?” Connie stared at her blankly. “Camping. Tents and sleeping bags.” 

Max stopped for a second, processing what Connie was saying. 

“Oh! Camping! I mean, I’ve never been...” Max began to rock on her heels. 

“Do you want to go?” 

“It’s never really crossed my mind. Why?”

“Steven and the band asked if we wanted to go camping with them just outside of Birmingham tonight.” 

“Yes.” 

“Yes?”

“You mentioned the band. I’m in. I don’t care what it involves. I’m fucking in. Sign me up. Where do I sign? Do you have a pen?” Max jumped towards Connie making her laugh. She swiped her phone out of Max’s vicinity and stepped back. 

“No signing, I’ll just say yes.” Connie nodded, looking back down at her phone and sending a confirmation text. 

Connie could feel Max’s presence behind her, suddenly feeling a slight weight on her shoulder. She could feel Max’s eyes staring at the phone screen. Despite there not being anything inappropriate, Connie felt as if her privacy had been invaded. Never in her life had she felt that way, having spent all of her teenage years without a lock on her phone granting her parent’s easy access. 

“So, when did you start texting Steven?” Max purred, interested to know what the heck was going on between her best friend and the lead singer of her favourite band. 

“It’s not what you think.” Connie sent the text before desperately scrolling up, revealing the small number of messages that had been exchanged between them both. Much to Max’s disappointment - there was nothing of the juicy nature. 

“Boring.” Max sighed, removing herself away from Connie as she walked off to continue her tour of the museum. Max was certainly going to get her money’s worth, even if Connie wasn’t. 

‘Really? Cool! I can’t wait to see you. I’ll send you the address.’ Steven texted back almost instantly. Connie’s heart dropped as she read the message, his words were incredibly personal and direct. 

'I can't wait to see  _ you _ ' was such a simple phrase. The wording making her heart skip a beat. It was about her. He wanted to see her. 

It didn't take Max and Connie long to pile back into the car and drive the remainder of the way. At that current moment in time, neither of them would have passed up the opportunity to have gone to hang out with the band. They were both far too excited to decline the offer. 

Connie had never slept underneath the stars before and she was pretty excited to do so. She loved space and knew a lot of useless facts about it that nobody would have wanted to know apart from her. According to the weather, it would have been clear skies all night and Connie couldn't wait to experience it all. 

The journey didn't take long. The thing that consumed the most of their time was trying to find out where the band had parked their car on the edge of a large forest. Steven dropping a pin in the middle of nowhere felt like a trap. Wasn't this how every horror movie started and ended? It would have been a lie to say she wasn't slightly worried. 

Eventually, the small car pulled up opposite the band's van. Connie wasn't even quite sure if it was legal for them to be there, but she had to learn to loosen up a little. It would have been fine. 

The band had already set up a small campfire as the sun set around them. Everyone cheered when Max and Connie found themselves getting out of the van. The applause caused Max to bow in response and Connie to blush slightly at the warm welcoming. 

"Come and join the party, guys." Sour Cream insisted as he waved his arm over towards them. They had managed to pull up a few broken logs towards the campfire as a means of seating. Connie couldn't help but note how aesthetically pleasing it all was. 

Max immediately sprung beside Jenny leaving the only space left to sit being beside Steven who had once again opted to be on his own. Connie found herself sitting beside him, smiling over as she took her seat. Steven smiled back, this time holding his stare a little longer than usual. 

"Did you guys do anything fun today?" Jenny questioned, cracking open a beer and passing it over to Max without hesitation. 

"We spent the day in Atlanta. Went to…" Max began to count on her fingers. "Three museums?" 

"That's cool. Respect the arts." Buck grinned, somewhat wishing the rest of the band would have been into visiting historically cultural sites. Perhaps with Max and Connie, Buck may have had a shot to do so? 

Steven held his hands against the log and once again glanced over at Connie beside him. He had spent all day contemplating his options. His options being what he wanted to say to Connie. He wanted to let her know how much he appreciated the fact that she was willing to discuss just about everything. She had made him feel a different kind of confident. 

When it came to women, it seemed as if Steven always knew what he was doing. It was a strange feeling to him that he was physically attracted to Connie and yet...they were yet to have sex. Most of Steven's relationships consisted of sex and nothing more. It wasn't his fault. It wasn't as if he wanted that - Steven wanted love. He didn't want something that was going to make him numb, but at least the sex filled the void if even for only a short while. 

It wasn't the same as love. It wasn't the same as being able to love someone. 

Steven had never slept with the same woman twice. A clear indication of their lack of romance past their first and last night together. Nobody wanted to be with Steven past much more than ticking a box that indicated they had slept with a singer in a band. They had slept with someone that could have been considered famous. They had slept with the son of Rose Quartz from the girl group  _ The Gems _ . 

The sex wasn't bad, in fact - Steven was pretty good at it. The issue being that Steven came with a lot of emotional baggage that people looking for a one night stand didn't need. They didn't want to listen to him. They didn't need to listen to him, he was more than willing to comply and sleep with them regardless. There was no bargaining about it. Although, Steven always seemed to be awake when they left the room the morning after or even the same night. Mostly the same night. He always had to watch them leave. 

"Good trip?" Steven tilted his head back, speaking specifically to Connie as Max and the others began to jeer about the alcohol they were going to consume. 

"I'd say I'm getting used to all the driving - but I'm really not." Connie snorted, stretching out her legs and sighing deeply. 

"It doesn't get any easier. We're not very good at taking it in turns. As by that, I mean... I'm usually the one driving." Steven laughed, he didn't mind driving the van. He loved being able to drive long distances across the states. In a way, it left him in a world of his own. It was freeing, despite everyone else in the van chatting, watching movies or listening to music. On occasion, they would even try and write songs together as they drove. 

"Tell me about it. It's not even my car!" Connie shook her head. 

Steven glanced upwards, the sun was setting and they were surrounded by a beautiful hazy red sky. It wouldn't have been long before the sunset completely, leaving them in darkness with nothing but the campfire to light their faces. 

"It's so beautiful..." Steven smirked before glancing back over to Connie. 

"The sky?" 

"Well, that too." Steven couldn't help himself let a small flirtatious comment slide. 

Connie looked at him, a gauge within her mind ticking over at the comment. It took her a while to clock onto what he was trying to say. 

He was calling her beautiful. 

"Oh…" Connie tucked her hair behind her ear and blushed, unsure how else to respond to his comment. He was flirting with her - or at least attempting. 

"Does anyone want some marshmallows? Because otherwise I'm going to eat my way through this whole bag and that won't look very pretty." Jenny held up the large bag of marshmallows that they had bought from a gas station along the way after deciding that tonight was the night they would camp out under the stars. 

Everyone quickly accepted the idea of joining in on roasting marshmallows around the fire. Although it seemed like such a common tradition, it was one that they all felt as if they wanted to participate in. 

Other than having a blanket and a pillow - none of them had any real camping equipment. It most certainly was just going to be a night underneath the stars. That wasn’t particularly a bad thing and it wasn’t the first time that the band had done it. For Max and Connie - it was their first time doing anything of the sorts. Both of them were both internally nervous and excited for the experience. 

It seemed as if Steven’s attempts at flirting were futile. However, Connie began to respond more and more to the way that he spoke to her. It was a different tone. One he didn’t use around anyone else. He wanted her to know that he was interested in her without saying any words to confirm it. The only way to possibly describe his displays was as a comparison to some kind of bird attempting to thrill its feathers as a way of finding a mate. Steven’s thrilling feather very much being a gravelly tone, small comments and subtle touches. 

Connie couldn’t help but notice how many times he tried to get closer to her throughout the evening. Enough to be subtle and not uncomfortable. Either way, Connie was enjoying the attention he gave her - especially when Max was spending so much time with the others. There was little she could do other than entertain herself with Steven’s company. 

Steven sat on the floor beside Connie, both of their backs up against the log they were previously sitting on. The campfire was pretty close, crackling and burning and giving off the only lighting that they had. Connie had thrown on a Jayhawk hoodie and Steven still sat in his black denim jacket. 

They weren’t so much the sober squad anymore as Connie watched Steven lead against the log and take a sip of a beer that he had been offered. He wasn’t a big drinker, it was more of a social thing. Steven knew he wouldn’t have more than the single bottle and pretty much drew the line there. 

The others had already made their way through a six-pack. Connie spent most of the night sipping on diet cola, Steven joining her every time other than his one beer. 

“Woah, college parties sound pretty intense.” Steven snorted before taking another sip of the beer. He leant his elbow against the log and held his head up with his knuckle, making sure he was facing Connie as she told her story. 

“It was nothing, really. Max is the one who’s good at that stuff. I usually sit in the corner and sit on my phone.” Connie traced her finger around the top of the soda can, her legs stretched out towards the campfire. 

“What do you do on your phone? Play games?”

“No. I usually just study.” Connie laughed before looking up at Steven who had his head tilted slightly. Connie would have been lying to herself if she had said she didn’t find him incredibly attractive. “I’m super lame - aren’t I?” 

“You’re not lame. I think you’re pretty cool.” Steven found his cheeks heating up, unsure if he was blushing or it was the heat from the campfire. Either way - Connie noticed. 

“Well, I’m not ‘frontman of an emo band’ cool!” 

“If anything - that’s the lamest thing I’ve ever heard.” Steven found himself laughing as Connie copied his action. 

“Okay, it is a  _ little _ lame…” Connie teased. 

“You think my band is lame?” Steven pouted, trying his hardest not to smirk under his act. 

“No comment.”

“Really? Is that how you’re playing it? You’ve said it now and I’m super offended!” Steven closed his eyes and looked away, continuing to pout about her last tease. 

“I never said anything about the band. I heard the frontman of Star Destroyers is pretty lame though.” Connie looked back down at her soda can and smirked, a part of her so desperate to see his facial expression drop at her rampant mockery.

“Where did you hear that?” Steven furrowed his eyebrows, desperate to find an answer to the extended flirtation technique. “Was it Alternative Press? They’re  _ always _ writing stuff about me. I don’t like that website.”

Connie laughed at his silly comments. Of course, nobody had really spoken ill of him, at least not recently and it certainly wasn’t in the vicinity of Connie. It seemed as if everyone that she came in contact with loved the man. He was incredibly kind-hearted and had a lot of talent. 

The band found themselves chatting around the campfire for the better part of the evening, falling into the early hours of the morning as they decided to put out the fire and unroll their blankets onto the floor. Connie placed her blanket near Max, still wearing the slightly oversized Jayhawk hoodie that she had put on earlier on. 

Max wouldn’t have admitted she was slightly tipsy after having a couple of beers, but she certainly needed to sleep whatever was in her system off. It didn’t take her long at all to fall asleep.

As much as Connie thought she would have been excited about getting to sleep underneath the stars - she couldn’t quite do it. Despite staring up at the open night sky for as long as she could remember, there wasn’t very much else to do other than to worry about the fact they could all possibly be ravaged by wolves or even a bear! Were there even bears in Alabama? There were probably snakes - she had no idea. 

She had been having fun with the band, especially after the rocky start that they all seemed to have together. The lifestyle that they led was one of interest, but it wasn’t ever something that Connie wanted to participate in herself. It was quite the niche adventure and one that people such as Max thrived on. 

Connie had been lying there for hours, unsure if she had drifted in and out of a poor night’s sleep. As Connie stared up at the stars she noticed a sweet sound, one that was melodic and charming. She laid there and listened to it for a while, not questioning it too much. It was beautiful. A distant sound of a guitar accompanied by the steady breaths of every bandmate as they slept. Connie was intrigued to know where the sound was coming from as she stood up away from her blanket and glanced around. 

The sound seemed to be coming from the edge of the woodland area that they had set up camp by. It was surprising that the gentle sound hadn’t woken anyone up, it was a little loud amongst the silence of the night. 

She stepped over to the edge of where the treeline began and noticed a figure sat on a fallen tree, a guitar in their hand as they faced away from the rest of the camp. Connie didn’t want to disturb them or scare them, so decided on making herself seen as she stepped around the debris before sitting beside him on the log. 

“Hey.” Steven looked up at Connie as he spoke, taking his attention away from the acoustic guitar he was holding. 

“Can’t sleep?” 

“No, you?”

“Nope.” Connie confirmed, sighing heavily. It was the early hours of the morning and they had both been up for far too long. They both desperately needed sleep. 

“I hope it wasn’t my guitar that stopped you from sleeping.” Steven attempted to hide the fact he sighed heavily as he removed the guitar away from his body and propped it up against the fallen tree beside him. 

“No, no! You play so beautifully, I wish I could play like that.” Connie insisted, it was never her intention to offend him. His guitar playing was gorgeous and she was incredibly jealous of his talents. 

“Have you ever tried?” Steven glanced over at Connie and smirked. 

“Not really.” 

“Do you want to try? I can show you...” Steven picked the guitar up by the neck and held it out for Connie. 

“Is the first lesson free?” Connie chuckled as she held the guitar. 

The acoustic guitar was somewhat heavy, although the weight felt good in her hand. She placed it onto her lap and held it just as Steven had done so just a moment ago. It felt incredibly large in her lap and she suddenly had no idea how Steven was able to play it so well. 

She glanced down at the frets, the paint underneath several strings having been rubbed away after years of use. The neck of the guitar was beautiful, gorgeous mahogany that still held a sweet smell to it. The body was large and somewhat uncomfortable for Connie, although she could still feel the warmth on the wood from where Steven had been holding it. 

“The first lesson is always free.” Steven smiled.

“Well, I’m glad. I still haven’t paid you for your skateboarding lesson.” Connie laughed, gently running her thumb against the strings and allowing the guitar to strum lightly. 

“Next time I’m charging.”

“So, how do I become a rockstar?” Connie cocked an eyebrow, suddenly teasing him as she held the guitar tightly to her body. 

“Well, you need to know some basic chords first. Let’s try...C! Okay, so...first finger, first fret, second string. Second finger, second fret, fourth string. Third finger, third fret, fifth string.” Steven quickly explained, the words going straight over her head as he spoke. 

“What?” Connie laughed, tapping her fingers against the frets. She was completely out of her depth. 

“Here, let me show you.” Steven insisted as he stepped up off the fallen tree and walked behind Connie. She half expected him to simply take the guitar from her, but he had other things in mind. He wasn’t quite sure how Connie was best taught, so teaching her visually was the best way to do it. 

Connie didn’t quite expect the man to come right up behind her, she suddenly felt his body heat within her presence. He didn’t hesitate as he kneeled behind her, his hand suddenly bringing itself up to meet hers by the fretboard. She felt the warm touch of his calloused fingertips as he attempted to reposition her fingers into the correct places. 

“How do you stretch your fingers this far?” Connie chuckled as he gently pulled her fingers over the fretboard. 

“Practice.” 

“Am I doing it?” Connie looked over and noticed her fingers were suddenly touching the frets in a pattern that would supposedly form some kind of musical note. 

“Perfect, now…” 

Connie felt his body getting closer to hers, he had practically found himself wrapped around her as he gripped his arm around her to get his hand into position to strum the guitar. She felt his chest against her back, they had never quite found themselves in such close proximity before. 

The longing stares and the time that they had spent together on tour the past week had been building tension within them both. It seemed as if they were all they could think about regardless of the situation. Each other. 

From the moment they had both seen one another at the bar, all they ever wanted to do was spend time together. It had been a whole week of small hints to let each other know they were interested. Considering most girls were happy to sleep with Steven after thirty seconds of knowing his name - Connie was different. He didn’t want to sleep with Connie. Well, at least not until they had built some kind of rapport. He wanted to get to know her and somehow unlike all of the other times, it had finally become an option.

Unlike all the other girls, she wasn’t there for sex. She wasn’t there to tick a box. She hadn’t even known who he was before her friend had dragged her along on the journey. Connie was different in the best of ways and he wanted to turn his charm on to find out if she felt the same way. 

Steven had attempted to make his move to get close to her, the one thing on his mind as he found himself unable to sleep was her. Connie. The one who would have perhaps shown him the love that he so desperately desired. 

“Should I strum?” Connie questioned, his body heat and lingering presence becoming incredibly distracting. 

“Yeah, just like this.” Steven strummed the guitar, Connie suddenly feeling his chest push into her back gently as he leant forward. Connie strummed the guitar in response, creating her first chord. 

“Can you show me more?” 

“Slow down, one chord at a time.” Steven chuckled, he was so close to Connie that if she were to turn slightly they would have been face to face. 

A satisfying shiver went down her spine as she felt his warm breath against her neck. 

“What’s next?”

“A minor. You do that by doing this.” Steven moved her fingers on the fretboard once more. 

Connie strummed the guitar. 

“D is pretty easy. Here.” 

Connie strummed the guitar. 

“Um...G is a good one too.” Steven instructed, once again moving her fingers into position as she passively allowed him to rearrange her placement. She couldn’t help but welcome his touch, a sudden physical attraction that she couldn’t quite explain. 

“I don’t think my fingers can stretch that far.” Connie chuckled, unable to form the chord, finding her placement incredibly difficult. 

“It’s okay, you’ll get it eventually. You can join my band.” Steven teased, his words nearly a whisper as Connie felt his breath brush against her hair. 

“Yeah? I don’t think I’d be very good...” Connie couldn’t resist turning to see his face hovering just above her shoulder. They were practically face to face, closer than they had ever been before. 

Steven backed away slightly, unravelling himself from the girl as he sat down beside her. They were both facing opposite directions on the fallen tree, Steven balanced himself as he held his hands either side of him, shuffling as close to Connie as possible. 

“Well, I think you would be perfect...” Steven purred as he gazed up at Connie, unable to focus on anything other than her eyes under the moonlight. She truly was perfect. 

Connie slowly placed the guitar beside her, leaning it up against the fallen tree that they were both currently perched upon. Her mind rearing with anticipation for what was about to happen. 

“I don’t think I’d be very good.” Connie shyly tucked her hair behind her ear, glancing away glasses up the bridge of her nose before finally meeting his eyes once again. This time he was closer. As close as two people could be without suggestion. 

“You’d be amazing.” Steven chewed his bottom lip. 

“I don’t think-”

“ _ You’re _ amazing.” Steven corrected, unable to help himself as he found himself flirting with the girl who had fallen right into his life at the beginning of the tour. 

Connie was speechless, her body feeling a comfortable rise in temperature as she blushed. He was looking at her in a way that nobody else had ever looked at her before. His eyes were mesmerising, she couldn't find herself looking anywhere else. He was incredibly attractive and Connie was suddenly finding it hard to concentrate. 

She hadn't quite expected any of this when she had agreed to go on tour with Max. She certainly hadn't expected to be hanging out with the band themselves. She hadn't quite expected wanting to be in a position where she was desperate to...kiss him. 

Connie wanted to kiss him. 

"I'm not. I'm-" Connie began, feeling as if Steven had complimented her too much. She didn't exactly have the highest of self-esteem and although Steven felt the same way about himself, he couldn't bear to see Connie's self-deprecation. 

"You're so smart and pretty and fun to be around. Don't ever say otherwise. " Steven smiled, his feelings within himself building. 

"You're too nice to me." Connie chuckled. 

"And you're too mean to yourself." Steven snorted, desperately wanting to grab a hold of her hands for reassurance. 

Connie thought about their short time together. Steven had always been so kind to her no matter what they did and where they went. There never seemed to be a dull moment with the man around. He seemed to have the ability to cheer people up around him and that was certainly a gift that he should have valued. 

"So, you're going to teach me more guitar - right?" Connie cocked an eyebrow, still teasing him with a slight whisper. 

"I will, but not right now." 

"Why not?" Connie asked.

"Because right now...I really want to kiss you." Steven chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he glanced away. He had never been embarrassed about flirting with a woman before, he usually did it so easily. So smoothly. Yet in front of Connie - he was a mess. 

"You want to-" 

"I mean...if you're okay with it. I wouldn't want to-" Before Steven could even finish his sentence Connie's lips had crashed against his. 

Steven stumbled back slightly in surprise but was quick to balance himself as he closed his eyes and followed through with the kiss. 

Surprisingly, it wasn't the first time that either of them had kissed someone. Steven, for one, had kissed copious amounts of people - some of which he still felt guilt over from not remembering their names. He always tried and if he didn’t know their name it was usually because they hadn’t even bothered telling him. Connie, on the other hand, had kissed a boy in high school once and made out with a guy at her college a couple of times. Her experience didn't quite go past that level, but Steven's ability far stretched beyond hers allowing him to lead the kiss with ease. 

Connie gripped onto his shoulders as Steven shuffled closer towards her. He hesitated slightly at putting his hands on her hips and settled nicely for slightly above as a way to not want to impose anything. 

There was a comfortable silence at the edge of the woodland as they held each other tightly, unable to remove themselves from the kiss. Steven was drunk on her affection, completely head over heels for the pressure he felt against his lips. 

It was nearly three in the morning and with everyone else in their party asleep, it felt somewhat as if they were teenagers sneaking away from a scenario to be together. Steven moved his leg over the fallen tree as to be closer to her, refusing to let go of her lips as he changed position. 

When Connie had first seen the boy on stage she certainly hadn’t expected to be crashing her lips against his not too long after. They moved together, perfectly in sync with each other’s actions. They found themselves both incredibly desperate to hold onto the kiss for as long as the other person would allow. 

Connie slowly moved her hands from his shoulders up to the back of his neck, giving him a slight pleasurable shiver as she brushed her fingers through the back of his hair. His locks of hair felt so soft between her fingers, encouraging her to stay in position as she gently massaged the back of his head with her fingertips.

Steven had kissed people in the past, but nothing had ever felt quite like this had made him feel. His love for the feeling was unmatchable as if sparks were flying inside of him. Connie had a talent in making him feel like a completely different man. He felt good. 

Connie was afraid that the others could have woken up at any moment and witnessed the kiss. A part of her knew that Max would have never let her live the moment down if they were ever caught. Everyone that they were with should have easily noticed their attraction to one another. The constant gazes and little hints that pointed in that direction. Wasn’t it obvious? They both wanted this more than they would have previously wanted to admit. 

It was strange - if it had been any other girl they probably would have requested to sleep with Steven within the first day of getting to know him. Sure, it was flattering - but what was more flattering was the fact that Connie didn’t want that. She hadn’t even hinted towards anything along these lines until that very moment she crashed her lips against his. 

Steven was desperate for love but always found himself looking in the wrong places. Little did he know that he never needed to look at all when sometimes things just worked out for the best. Steven couldn’t sleep with Connie, doing so would only prove himself right about not being able to find romance within the world. Right? This was going to be different and he refused to ruin it for them both. 

Steven brought his hand up to the side of Connie’s face, continuing to guide her softly through the kiss. Their movements were so fluent that Steven found it difficult to unlatch his lips, even when he did, he kept going back for more. Slower and sensual as if they were running out of energy to do much more. 

They finally both pressed their lips together for the last time, keeping themselves close as both of them caught their breath. 

Connie had just kissed Steven Universe. According to alternative rock magazines, that was probably a pretty big deal. If Max got a hold of the information, everything would have been over for Connie.

Steven brushed Connie’s long hair away from her face, gently placing it behind her ear. It was a subtle attempt at keeping them as close as possible, Steven craving the touch. 

Connie slowly moved away from him, not in the sense of not wanting to be close - but she had to look at him. She had to see the glistening eyes looking at her as if she was the most important person in the world. As she pulled away, Steven opened his eyes revealing just what she had been expecting. He was marvelling at her and just couldn’t help himself. 

With only the moonlight to guide them, Connie could just about make out each of his features enough to say that she saw him. The sun wasn’t too far off from rising. 

She slowly cupped his cheek in her hand, his bristly stubble grazing against her palm. He melted at her touch, practically nuzzling his cheek into her hand. Connie couldn’t deny the fact he was gorgeous, from his perfectly rounded face to the hair that sat in place with ease. He was undeniably attractive and he knew it. He owned it. 

“You’re so pretty.” Steven gushed as he looked towards her with wide eyes. He was so caught up in the moment, unable to control whatever came out of his mouth. 

Despite being high most of the time, nothing compared to the high he had gotten after connecting lips with Connie. No drug in the world could make him feel that way. 

As much as Connie wanted to argue his words she knew she couldn’t win in that moment. Connie didn’t want to believe that she was pretty, but how Steven looked at her heightened her confidence on the topic. Even if she didn’t believe she was pretty - Steven saw otherwise. 

“You’re so...handsome.” Connie spoke softly as she gazed into his eyes, continuing to hold onto the side of his face. Steven blushed at her comment. 

Her words felt so sincere, unlike the social media comments that noticed his looks and left copious amounts of emojis or left posts saying about how ‘hot’ he was. In a way, it felt degrading. His band wasn’t big, but after his mother’s success, he was always looked down for that. Always compared to her no matter where he went. 

Connie’s comment felt so genuine. So loveable. So…

Steven kissed her once more, this time a lot less frantic. It was slow but meaningful and Connie immediately sank herself back to the feeling. The slow kiss didn’t last quite as long as the last, despite it feeling as if it meant slightly more. A reassurance that this was both what they wanted. An incredible attraction to one another. 

Steven smiled on her lips before pulling away causing her to let out an adorable giggle that melted his heart. 

“I could kiss you all night.” Steven spoke in a husky whisper causing Connie’s entire body to internally react to the words. She would have been thinking about this moment for weeks. 

“Yeah?”

“Yeah…” His voice was incredibly arousing. 

Connie pulled a sharp gasp of air through her teeth, attempting to prepare herself to be kissed once more. All she wanted to do was to spend the night with the man on the outskirts of the forest. She was still incredibly terrified that they would have been disturbed by a bear at any minute. 

As much as she was terrified of bears or snakes, she also hoped that none of their party was to wake up and find themselves discovering how she had been making out with the lead singer of the band at three in the morning. It wasn’t as if either of them were drunk. She had no idea if Steven was high, having quite the ability to hide how truly stoned he was depending on how much he had smoked. 

Just as Steven was about to dive into yet another kiss, there was a sudden flash of light that caused both Steven and Connie to gasp. They were both quick to frantically face the light. For some reason, Steven half expected it to be a police officer. It wouldn’t have been the first time he had been caught with a girl by the law. 

Although, unsurprisingly it was a member of their party holding their phone up with the torch shining on the back.

“Um...hi.” Sour Cream exchanged glances between the two of them. 

They both sat awkwardly on the fallen tree, smiling up at Sour Cream casually as if nothing was going on. 

“What’s up? Nice weather we’re _weathering_.” Steven chuckled nervously, sweat suddenly dripping down the side of his face. He couldn’t be caught out by one of his bandmates, it would be all they would speak about until the end of time. 

Connie furrowed her eyebrows as she quickly glanced over to him, watching him desperately try and keep his cool under pressure. There was no way they would have gotten out of this one. 

“I mean, clear skies at three - I respect that.” Sour Cream shrugged. 

“So, what brings you to this side of town?” Steven continued to laugh with anxiety in his tone. Connie desperately wanted to slam the palm of her hand against her forehead. Why did she have to kiss him? He was such a dork. 

“Looking for a cool place to pee. Do you know any good spots?” 

“Ha! Oh boy, you bet. See that tree over there? Quality location - you can’t beat it.” Steven was deadly serious with his tone, wanting nothing more than to get Sour Cream out of his hair. His unruly hair that had been completely ruined at the back by Connie’s desperate fingers. 

“Alright, man. If you say so. What are you two doing out here so late anyway?” Sour Cream cocked an eyebrow as he continued to point the torch at them both. 

“Smoking!” Connie was quick to answer with something that was somewhat believable, although her word was quickly overshadowed by Steven’s sudden shouting. 

“Bird watching!” 

Connie shot him a quick stare of both confusion and the face of someone who was internally screaming with both confusion and anger. 

“Bird watching - at three in the morning?” Sour Cream was incredibly confused. 

“Sleeping birds. We’re watching them sleep. It’s a thing - Boogle it.” Steven chuckled, wiping the sweat off his brow as he spoke. He didn’t quite want to turn to look at Connie’s expression of sheer disbelief. 

“That’s rad, man. Mad respect for sleeping birds.” Sour Cream nodded with a smile. 

“Yeah! Real cool.” Steven grinned, casually leaning back on the tree trunk he was sitting on as much as possible without falling off. 

“Well, I’ll leave you to it. Don’t stay up too late.” 

“Ha. We won’t!” Steven waved slightly as Sour Cream turned and made his way over to the tree that he had suggested. 

Steven let out a deep sigh of relief. He couldn’t have been caught with Connie, it would have only raised more questions about what their relationship may have eventually held. They would also never let him live it down. Of course, Steven was the one who would have tried to get with one of the girls who was following them on tour - but it wasn't like that!

“Sleeping...birds? You’ve got to be kidding me.” Connie sighed, still in disbelief of how ridiculous his remarks were. 

“It’s fine. It’s believable.” 

“No, it’s not.” 

“Well, Sour Cream would believe it - plus, it’s kind of cool.” Steven shrugged, trying his hardest not to laugh. 

Connie sat for a moment, what she had done suddenly sank into her mind. She had just kissed Steven Universe. What had she done? What would Max say if she found out? What if her parents found out? If Connie was out and about kissing boys her parents certainly would have never expected it to have been with a weed-smoking emo boy in a band. 

Connie sighed as she buried her head into her hands and groaned slightly, pushing her glasses out of the way. Steven’s expression suddenly dropped at the response, terrified he may have done something wrong by kissing her. He never wanted to make her feel uncomfortable, but she seemed to have been super into it.

“Sorry, did I-”

“N-no, you’re really nice!” Connie instantly pulled her head away from her hands, looking up and smiling back at him sitting next to her. 

“Oh.” He had heard that one before. Perhaps a little too often. 

Connie reached over and gripped onto the hand that he had balanced on his lap. She allowed their fingers to intertwine as they had done a few days before. Nobody had ever really held Steven’s hand the way that Connie did. It didn’t feel as if she was holding it because she felt she had to, but more because she wanted to. It was loving. 

“You’re really sweet, Steven.” Connie whispered under her breath, glancing up at him with a smile. 

“But?” Steven waited in anticipation.

“Huh?”

“You’re really sweet...but…” Steven repeated, still waiting for her to finish her sentence. It was coming. He knew it. He would never have been able to mentally prepare for rejection, but he was starting to get used to it. 

“Nothing. No buts.” Connie laughed, noticing the panicked expression on his face. It suddenly made her heart ache at the fact it seemed as if he was no stranger to rejection. She wasn't going to reject him, not like the other women that had come and gone into his life. 

“Oh…” Steven was filled with confusion. How was it possible for him to have kissed a girl and not received any kind of backlash for his actions. Why was she not prepared to stand up and leave? Why did she still feel inclined to speak to him? 

“I’d love to kiss you again...it’s just late and…” 

“The others might wake up?” Steven suddenly caught onto her anxiety about being found out. He understood completely. It wasn’t as if he wanted his band to find out about his little fling with the girl who had been following them around on tour. 

“Exactly.” 

“Well, we should probably try to sleep.” Steven smirked before looking down at her hand that was balancing on his. His palms were somewhat clammy, but she didn’t seem to notice. 

After her time with Steven, Connie wasn’t quite sure whether it would have helped her sleep or whether it would have hindered her mind some more. She was still in complete shock that she had pressed her lips against his. It was all she could think about. 

“We should…” Connie looked over at Steven with a small smile creeping up the corners of her lips. There was a moment of silence shared between them both as Steven leant in for another kiss. 

Of course, she wanted to kiss him again. Why wouldn’t she have wanted to kiss him? She desperately wanted to press her lips against his as to remember the feeling. What if she never got to do it again? What if she had forgotten what it was like to kiss him? 

What had made him quite so attractive? She knew it wasn’t the blunt smell of weed that stuck to his denim jacket or the fact he probably hadn’t washed in anywhere other than a public bathroom sink in the past couple of days. It was his sweet mind and soul, his talent, his kindness and the looks that he had given her time and time again. He just wouldn’t leave her mind no matter how far they travelled. 

This time, as they kissed Steven took a deep breath through his nose - completely surprised and shocked by the moment. Just like the other women he had in his life, he wanted to touch Connie in ways that made her feel special. Although, there was a line that he knew he couldn’t cross. Connie wasn’t like the other girls. She wasn’t drunk or high and certainly wasn’t begging him for it. This was a completely new experience for him and Steven had to learn to be patient. 

He was a lover at heart and as much as he wanted to hold her waist or pull her onto his lap to be closer to one another - he didn’t want to rush into anything. This was a kiss. Nothing more and nothing less. Steven refused to ruin the moment. 

Just moments ago Connie was so afraid of being caught by Max and the others, even though Sour Cream was probably still stumbling around in the woods beside them she couldn’t help but kiss him further. She had never been with a guy like Steven before. She had never kissed someone like him before. 

They couldn’t quite figure out the concept of time as they continued to further their kiss. They could have been kissing for twenty minutes straight and neither of them would have noticed. It seemed to have gone on forever and yet it didn’t feel as if it went on for long enough. They always went back for more. 

“Okay.” Connie pressed her forehead against Steven’s and breathed deeply. “Really.” Connie spoke between his kisses. “We have to drive tomorrow.” Connie pushed his chest slightly as he planted kisses along her jawline. As much as he wanted to kiss her neck he didn’t quite go that far. 

“Well, maybe someone else can drive for once? That way we can make out on the backseat of the van.” Steven spoke in a slur as he whispered into her ear after planting gentle kisses all along her jaw. Nobody had ever kissed Connie with such care and precision before. Steven was more than good at it...he was fantastic. 

“Steven!” Connie began to blush as she chuckled. “I don’t think Max would be too happy about that.” 

“Neither would the band - but I’d be pretty happy with that.” Steven pulled away, wanting to get a better look at her. She was just as beautiful as he had remembered from the last time that he had looked at her around thirty seconds ago. 

“I can tell...” Connie giggled, suddenly drunk on his presence. 

As much as they found themselves wanting to kiss one another all night, they were both somewhat sensible enough to realise that they needed to fall asleep. Steven wished that without being awkward he could have offered for Connie to have joined him on his blanket under the stars. He would have wanted nothing more than to have cuddled with her as they slept. 

They knew that wasn’t possible. Instead, they gave one another a short kiss before saying goodnight. 

Steven grabbed his guitar and threw it back into the van, trying to be as quiet as possible as he stepped around all of his sleep band members. As he placed his guitar in the van he closed the door and watched Connie go to lay down on her blanket that was by the extinguished campfire, the only thing illuminating their faces was the bright moonlight above them. 

Steven smiled, waving towards her - unable to stop looking. Connie found it impossible not to smirk over at him and join in on his small wave, a million things flooding through her mind about the boy. Steven found his way to the other side of the van and slumped himself down on the blanket that he had previously set up at the beginning of the evening. 

Despite being on opposite sides of the van they both looked up at the stars and smiled. They were both incredibly happy with their choices that night. All they wanted to do was kiss one another, finally watering the seed that had been planted at the bar the first night of the tour. 

The next morning upon packing up and departing their campsite Steven and Connie had spent a lot of time giving each other little glances and smirks. It was fun knowing what they had been doing during the middle of the night when nobody else was around. Nobody had to know they had spent the majority of their time together in the evening making out. It wasn't common knowledge and it wasn't going to be common knowledge. 

"So, what happened?" Max leant her elbows on the roof of the car as Connie opened the back door and threw her bag in the back. 

"What?" Connie glanced over the car and furrowed her eyebrows, completely confused by what Max could have possibly been referring to. Did she know? 

"You can't stop looking at each other." 

"Who?" 

"Don't play stupid with me, Connie. Y'know who I mean. Mr.Lover Boy back there who has spent the past hour at breakfast unable to look at anything other than yourself." Max leaned further on the roof, dropping the volume of her voice. 

"Nothing. Nothing has happened." Connie shook her head as she clambered into the car. 

Max followed, finding herself in the passenger seat and watching as Connie pulled out her phone and began to look for the nearest attraction for them to spend the day at. It was probably going to be a museum.

"Did you sleep with him?" Max suddenly questioned. 

"No!" 

"Okay, well... I'm just checking. Jenny is convinced you guys are screwing." Max added casually. 

"Well - she's wrong." 

“Is she though?” Max teased. 

“Yes! She is very much wrong. Can we drop this?” Connie groaned, feeling as if she was never going to get away from Steven within her mind. 

“Fine. You’re no fun.”

“You’re too much fun.” Connie snorted before continuing to flick through her sat nav for their next location. 

The two parties decided on travelling separate, deciding to meet one another at the show in the evening. Connie found herself stood in the crowd staring up at Steven as if he was the only one on the stage. She occasionally felt bad for only focusing her efforts on Steven - but it was as if she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to see him. 

Steven was pretty humble at heart, but he did enjoy gloating when he was good at something. He knew Connie was watching and did just about everything he could have done to make it a fantastic show. The crowd loved feeding off their energy and the show seemed to have been the one show with the liveliest crowd. They hadn’t quite expected it - but welcomed the praise and excessive amount of shouting. 

The show had been a lot of fun and Max had nearly gotten herself in trouble with security once again. Luckily, she managed to avoid them every time after the warning that she had gotten. Connie wanted to make sure that Max didn’t make it her mission to have gotten kicked out of every one of the venues. That wouldn’t have been a good track record, despite knowing the band would have let her in through the back. 

The evening after the show was mostly filled with hanging out in one of the back rooms, the band once again invited Connie and Max into the back. It was becoming a common occurrence and Connie and Max had gotten used to them asking. They felt like a part of the band and it made them both feel fantastic. 

Connie had her mind locked on someone else as she spent a lot of her time with her legs crossed and her finger and thumb pinching her bottom lip as she stared across the room at Steven Universe. Steven continued to chat with the band, his elbows leant up against the back of the couch, a flannel draped over his t-shirt. 

He was unsure as to when he could have made his next move. He wanted to kiss her again. 

Steven reached into his pocket as his phone buzzed, taking his attention off Connie and pulling out his phone. He stared down at the screen and half-smiled at the message, both being filled with excitement and trepidation. 

‘Hey bud, I noticed you’ll be in Nashville tomorrow. Any chance you want to pal around with your old man for a while? Let me know if you’re free!’ 

Steven glanced back up at Connie who had now focused her attention elsewhere. He looked back at the phone and sighed silently. 

He had to go and see his dad. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for your love of this rockstar au. Your comments, art, discussion on Discord and just...EVERYTHING is fuelling me. I love you all.


	8. Nashville, TN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven visits his father in Nashville, bringing back awkward feelings he just can't shake from his past.

Steven had woken up on the couch of a stranger’s house. It wouldn’t have been the first time in his life that had happened, in fact, it happened pretty frequently. He sat up and glanced around noticing the rest of his band laid out around the room. Jenny had taken the other couch and both Sour Cream and Buck were on opposite ends of a coffee table on sleeping mats. 

Steven knew that with everyone asleep it was his only chance to dip into the bathroom and sort himself out. As by that - he wanted to have a shower. 

It didn’t take him long to hop in and take advantage of the hot water that their host had gracefully provided for them. Steven had brought his bag of toiletries through and made a start at shampooing the curly locks that he managed to tame on a day to day basis. It felt refreshing to have finally been able to clean himself somewhere that wasn’t a public bathroom or the bathroom in the back of a music venue with more germs on the sink than there were on the toilet seat. 

After stepping out of the shower he wiped his hand across the mirror, making way for a blurry version of his face that he had created through the swift swipe of condensation. He reached into his bag and pulled out a razor. It seemed as if his small amount of stubble never quite grew into a beard, but by the time it had reached the afternoon his face was already starting to shadow again. 

He didn’t mind the stubble. Most women he had been with had told him how attractive it was and yes - he was vain enough to believe them. Although, their statements were completely valid and true. He was incredibly attractive with stubble and he knew how to pull it off. He began to shave gently before rubbing his hair against the towel and hoping for the best results for now. Without him styling it back it mostly just looked as it did when he was a kid, but just slightly sadder. 

He pulled what he assumed to be a clean t-shirt over his head before throwing on what most certainly wasn’t a clean flannel over himself. Steven glanced up into the mirror and forced a smile as he ran his fingers through his hair. 

He was going to be seeing his dad today. He wasn't quite sure what that could have possibly entailed. He knew that his relationship with his father hadn’t always been the best. It wasn’t as if they had ever been on bad terms with one another, but that didn’t stop Steven from feeling awkward around him. 

If he could have just gotten through one day with being with his dad he could have continued the tour with ease. Besides, there was at least one thing to look forward to when he went to the show in the evening. 

Connie. 

He couldn’t quite believe that they had kissed. He had never kissed a girl like that before and it had been completely different and new in comparison to anything else he had ever witnessed. Girls only usually made out with him because they wanted something, but Connie didn’t want anything. She wanted to kiss. That was it. 

She had no ulterior motive - or at least he didn’t think she did. A part of him worried that the tour was nothing more than a rebellious streak for her. Was Steven just going to be a part of phase? Phases could come and go. If she was just about as serious about it as he was then he would have liked her to stick around. 

That was the problem - nobody ever stuck around. 

Steven was a hopeless romantic and that was using the word hopeless kindly. His ability to thrill women never went past the morning after. Sure, he was great with sex and he was ready and able for the emotional aspect of a relationship too, it was just a shame that nobody would give him a chance. 

Nobody except Connie. 

He didn’t want to think too deeply into it. He could already feel himself spiralling into a deep dark pit of depression when she finally turned around and told him that wasn’t something she wanted. He was afraid of that rejection. A deep fear pitted within him from years of seeking love and companionship. 

It was impossible. Yet, the romantic stories he had been fed about his parents was the only thing he could think about when it came to love. 

All he saw as a child was how much love his parents shared for one another. He didn’t see the issues that came leading up to her death. He didn’t see the struggles that they faced with one another. He didn’t see what pressure Rose put on the band. He didn’t see the heartbreak that came with loving Rose Quartz. 

He didn’t see any of that until she died. 

The pain his father felt when she had passed away was pain that couldn’t quite have been compared to anything - even a physical wound. In fact, the emotional pain was so bad for his father that he probably would have preferred to have suffered some kind of physical pain. It had stuck him in a rut that he was unable to get out of, the only thing saving him from himself had been Steven. 

From what Steven had seen, the relationship that his father had shared with his mother was one of a different nature. They both loved each other a lot and Steven craved that same kind of connection. From all of the stories that his father had shared about them together, that was what Steven envisioned when he thought about love - not all of the stuff that came after. 

If his father had managed to find the love of his life whilst on tour, Steven was convinced that he would have been able to have done the same. There was nothing stopping him. 

There was still hope yet. 

The band left Birmingham after shovelling some cereal bars in their mouth for breakfast that they had gotten from a local gas station. They knew they had been overcharged - but they needed to eat. There wasn’t much choice in the matter. 

The drive wasn’t a particularly long one and it gave Steven enough time to ponder on his thoughts. He also knew that the sooner he had driven to Nashville the sooner he could have blasted himself with weed before getting in the proximity of his father. He wanted to be as numb as possible for that conversation. 

It wasn't as if he had a bad relationship with his father. It wasn't like that at all. In fact, he loved his father a lot. He had a lot of respect for the man and everything that he had done for Steven throughout his life. A lot of sacrifices had been made, some of which more necessary than others. 

Steven's relationship with his father was complicated and could have been considered one-sided in some aspects. His father tried his hardest and Steven wasn't always up to the challenge of accepting his praise. Steven wasn't like his mother and he didn't want to be anything like his father. It was hard to get away from the life that he was destined to have. 

Steven's father, Greg Universe had made his way into the music industry when he was in his teen years. He had started as a roadie for small-time bands playing in local venues, eventually finding himself managing bands in recent years. 

A beautiful story of both love and disaster comes to mind whenever anyone was to think about the man. 

Greg had been a roadie for the famous pop group  _ The Gems _ in the early nineties. That was where he had met the lead singer of the girl group, Rose Quartz and fell in love. 

Rose showered the man in just about everything, not quite understanding the implications of her attraction. Her band had warned her time and time again about getting with the roadie and she never listened. There wasn't anything specifically wrong with Greg, but the rest of the group weren't completely keen on him. Well, one member certainly wasn't. 

It was late in 96' when Rose had discovered that she was pregnant with the roadie's baby. It was going to be fine. Everything would have been perfect. Except...it wasn't. 

Steven still had memories of his mother. Her mass amount of pink curly hair and silly faces she would pull to make him laugh. The way she would hold him tightly when he was upset or the way both her and Greg would read him bedtime stories together. He remembered the soft touch of her fingers as they wrapped around his hand, dragging him away from whatever childish exploits he was far too interested in. He remembered her singing. The angelic voice that hummed through the large house. 

He remembers her being there and then...he doesn't. As if one moment she was there and the next she was gone. Someone had flicked the switch and caused all the colour in the world to flood away, only leaving black and white. 

He remembered the van. The van his father decided to use to look after him. Greg didn't want Rose's money and he certainly wasn't going to accept the help of any of the other members of the band. He didn't need their money. He could raise his son on his terms. 

He remembered the-

“Well, if it isn’t my rockstar son! Come here, kid!” Greg immediately pulled Steven in for a huge hug. Steven stood still, awkwardly looking back towards his band as a cry for help. It wasn’t as if he didn’t love affection, but there was something about today that just made everything a little bit harder. It was nobody’s fault except for Stevens. 

“Dad…” Steven kept his hands to his side as his dad held him. Even if Steven wanted to hug him back, Greg had trapped him in a way that made it impossible to do so. 

"Hey, Mister Universe!" Sour Cream threw up his hands and shouted as they approached the outside of a large music studio. 

Greg loosened his grip around Steven as Sour Cream spoke. He held his arm around Steven as they turned to face the rest of the band. Steven didn’t argue with his affection, as much as he didn’t quite feel as if he was deserving of all the love his father gave him, he was still willing to allow the connection. 

Usually, when things got tough Greg was the first person that Steven turned to. No matter where they were, there were certain points in Steven’s life where he would have wanted nothing more than to have been close enough in distance to have crossed the road and given his dad a hug. Unfortunately, for the most part, they were states apart. 

“Hey, if it isn’t my favourite band! How are you all doing?” Greg grinned as the band made their way towards him. 

“As cool as ever. Good to see you, Mr.U.” Buck smiled, the band were always happy to see Greg Universe. If anything, he had always supported them through their endeavours. Greg was the one who organised everything for them and if it wasn’t for him then they wouldn’t have even been on tour. 

Greg was a living legend and the band held a great admiration for him. He wasn’t the kind of legend to have been noticed on the street by a passerby, but he was pretty distinguishable for someone who was really into their music. 

“Thriving.” Jenny gleamed before staring back down at her phone. 

“That’s great! It’s so good to see you all, how’s the tour going?” Greg questioned. He always wanted to make sure that they were okay, considering he wasn’t joining them on their way around the country this time. 

“We have groupies!” Sour Cream cheered before pumping his fist in the air. Steven’s eyes widened at the comment, that wasn’t exactly something that he wanted to discuss in front of his father. 

They weren’t groupies. They were...Steven didn’t know how to define them. He couldn’t call Connie a fan when she wasn’t exactly there for their music. Max was. He could have mentioned that. 

“You wha-”

“There’s just a few  _ fans _ that are following us on tour.” Steven butted in before his father could question it. 

“Wait, you have groupies?” Greg laughed nervously. 

“Yeah! Pretty cool, right?” Sour Cream was confident in his words. 

“They’re not groupies!” Steven clenched his fists together and raised his voice slightly, completely embarrassed by the situation playing out in front of his dad. 

“Max is definitely a wannabe groupie - I’m happy to play that game.” Jenny snorted, much to Steven’s horror. 

“They’re  _ fans _ . Fans who are following us on tour. Not groupies. Groupies want drugs and free merch a-and  _ sex _ !” Steven stumbled on his words, arguing his point. 

“Well, I’m certain Connie wants at least one of those things from you and it isn’t free merch...” Jenny chuckled before hiding behind her phone. 

“It’s not like that, I-” Steven raised a finger, ready to defend himself against them all. He was more than frustrated with their teasing. 

“Woah, Stchuball - settle it down.” Greg began to laugh, Steven’s mood somewhat settling as he felt his father’s hand fall on his shoulder. His grip was gentle yet firm, enough for Steven to take a deep breath and mentally step back from the situation. “Sounds like you guys have had a pretty eventful tour already!” 

Greg didn’t want to press into the situation further, it was a topic that Steven didn’t want to bring up at that moment in time. Although Steven was happy to discuss a lot of topics in front of his dad, it would have been weird to have had that conversation in front of him and his friends. That wasn’t the kind of awkwardness he needed in his life. 

“It’s been pretty sick.” Buck smirked, ecstatic over how well everything had gone so far. 

“We had some trouble with the van, but it got fixed.” Sour Cream added, informing Greg of the situation that they had been in last week. Steven hadn’t informed him of what had happened, knowing that Greg would have offered to have paid for the repairs if he knew how much they had cost them. 

“Trouble with the van? Oh boy, I don’t miss those days.” Greg sighed, still holding onto Steven’s shoulder as he spoke. His son had grown tall enough to have been a similar height to him, although he had been this tall for years it still irked Greg knowing he was once a small boy. 

“Did that happen to you a lot? I don’t think I could cope.” Jenny snorted, remembering each of the times that they had been in trouble when it came to the van. It wasn’t an enjoyable experience. 

“Oh, it happened all the time. You’d think that with a huge band like  _ The Gems _ that they would have had decent vans. Not for us roadies. Rose was sat up in that fancy tour bus with the rest of them and I was stuck in an old van carrying sound equipment. You’d think they’d want something a bit fancier - beats me. Rose’s management was pretty bad. There was this one time that Rose and I-” Greg began to extensively begin one of his many stories on him and his adventures with the loveable Rose Quartz. At least the adventures early on within their relationship that were fun enough to have shared in a social environment. 

“Hey Dad, didn’t you say we were going to hang out?” Steven interrupted. He wasn’t usually up to the task of being rude, but he certainly didn’t want to hear a story about his mother and father for the millionth time. Not today. 

That was the one thing that he always wanted to avoid whenever he visited his dad, although that was never something that he would have been able to do. He could never escape the thoughts of his mother when his father was around. 

“Right! Sorry guys, storytime with your uncle Greg will have to resume another day!” Greg grinned awkwardly, realising that he had overstayed his welcome, especially when it came to storytelling. He usually got a bit carried away when it was something he was passionate about. 

Steven used to enjoy the stories that his father told him. He would even sit and listen to the same story over and over again, his father even putting his words into lyrics as he strummed his guitar in the back of the van. Steven loved hearing his stories, but something about hearing them now filled him with a disconnect that he wished he didn't have. 

“Bummer. Anyway, we’re going to hit some of the bars. See you later, Steven.” Jenny waved her hand towards them both. 

“Catch you later, Mister Universe!” Sour Cream waved. 

“Goodbye, Mister Universe.” Buck nodded. 

“See you later, guys!” Greg waved energetically before turning back to Steven as everyone else departed. 

“Did you have anything in mind?” Steven shyly questioned as he took a slight step away from Greg to regain his own personal space. As much as he wanted to be close to his father, he didn’t quite want to be that close. 

“Do you want to grab some food? There’s a really cool diner down the street. They claim they have the ‘best coffee in the state’, but I'd have to drink it to believe it.” Greg scratched his facial hair as he spoke. 

Greg was always worried that Steven hadn’t quite been looking after himself whenever he was on tour. He knew his son smoked recreationally, except he also knew that he relied on it to get through the day. After experiencing heartbreak through the use of drugs, he never wanted his son to follow that same path. Weed was fine, but as soon as Greg was aware of him overstepping that line he would have been there to put a stop to it. 

Steven wasn’t stupid and he knew exactly what he was doing. There was no way he would have swallowed pills or injected anything harmful into his body. Weed was where he crossed the line. 

“I guess that would be good, I just- I don't think I have enough for anything fancy.” Steven shrugged, he couldn’t help but feel a little bit sad that he was in his dad’s presence without being able to stomach a happy face. His dad reminded him of his mom and his mom reminded him of…

Disaster. 

"Steven, money isn't an issue. You know you can-" 

"I'm fine. It's okay." 

"You'd tell me if you were struggling, right?" Greg placed his hand back into Steven's shoulder. Greg had more money than he knew what to do with and as much as he was willing to support Steven, it was hard to provide for him when he wasn't willing to accept it. 

"Dad, really - it's fine. I've got money." Steven was embarrassed by his financial situation and he knew his father was happy to give him everything he needed to get by, but Steven didn't want that. Steven wanted to provide for himself with the money that he had earnt, not a cash injection from his father and the never-ending flow of a percentage of money that came from his mother's music sales. He didn't want that. It wasn't his to take. 

"Well, I'll cover everything today. How does that sound?" Greg asked, desperately trying to help his son as much as possible. He understood more than anyone what it was like to have overwhelming parents. Although he could never wear Steven's shoes in the matter, he knew what it was like to have parents who thought something was best for them when it clearly wasn't. 

So, Greg let Steven do just about anything if he thought it would have made him happy. He allowed him to leave home at seventeen. 

Steven didn't quite know what to say to his father regarding paying the tab. Maybe he would have been able to afford it if he hadn't blown a little too much on weed in the morning. Steven knew he was a disappointment - at least that's how he saw it in his mind. 

"Thanks." Steven half-smiled at Greg, a little bit awkward over the offer. Steven was quite the embarrassment if he couldn't even afford a simple meal. 

He probably could have scraped something together, but spending ten dollars or more on a meal compared to the ramen he would have eaten that would cost fifty cents was a big jump. 

Steven pushed the fries around his plate as he stared down at the food, his appetite had been destroyed by the day he was having. There wasn’t anything particularly bad about it, in fact, he should have been over the moon. Connie had kissed him last night!

A slight smile crept up his lips at the thought.

“Not hungry?” Greg asked as he looked over at his son who hadn’t exactly looked the happiest all day. Greg had gotten used to Steven’s distance, he knew that it wasn’t something that he could have solved as much as he tried to do so. 

Steven had left home when he was seventeen years old and he decided to never look back. Except he did - he never wanted to leave his dad. He never wanted his dad to feel as if he had failed as a parent. Steven just wanted to do something with his life that was his own choice rather than something that his family wanted to decide for him. They had been smothering and he never appreciated it. 

“Not really.” Steven sighed, placing a fry back onto the plate and sighing deeply. 

“What’s up, bud? Is there something going on?” Greg’s expression dropped, genuine concern for his son. 

“It’s nothing.” 

“It doesn’t look like nothing.” 

“It’s just...I’m tired.” Steven sighed, knowing that the reason behind being so exhausted was Connie. They had kissed in the early hours of the morning. It hadn’t been the most practical timing, especially considering they both had to drive to Nashville the next day. 

“Tour can be a killer, but I’m sure you rock that stage every night. You’re okay with me coming tonight, right?” Greg respectfully asked the question as if Steven would have ever denied his dad the ability to see him play. 

“Yeah! Of course I am!” Steven looked up and smiled at Greg. He was grateful for his dad being as supportive as he was. No matter what, they always had each other. 

“Are you ready to see your dad in a mosh pit?” Greg winked as he leant on the table inside of the booth and chuckled to himself. 

“Dad, no!” Steven groaned, unable to help himself as he smirked. 

“Hey, your old man has been tearing up mosh pits since before you were born.” 

“That doesn’t make it right.” 

“No, but it’s still a load of fun.” Greg grinned before taking a sip of the soda that he had ordered. 

Steven smiled down at his plate before sheepishly eating one of the fries. It was pretty good. 

“Thanks for setting up the tour by the way - it means a lot.” Steven showed his appreciation for his father’s input into the band’s wellbeing. Greg always made sure to look after them all, they were certainly his favourite band. Sure, he was pretty biased. 

“I can get you more shows, y’know. All you have to do is ask.” 

“I know...but I feel bad for asking.” Steven sighed. The truth being he was never the one to ask his dad for help, even when things got pretty tough. He knew his dad would always be there to support him no matter what, but that didn’t mean that it didn’t fill Steven with an overwhelming amount of guilt. 

“Steven, it’s kind of my job to do exactly that.” Greg laughed nervously, unsure if his son was sure as to what he did as a job. 

“Yeah, but-”

“How about a European tour? Next year!” Greg suddenly inputted, as if this was something he had already been thinking about for a while. Greg watched as Steven’s face filled with confusion. “Well, I say European - I mean the UK.” 

“Can we even afford that?” Steven’s face dropped with concern. He knew that there were plenty of fans across the pond ready to see Star Destroyers and yet the idea of going abroad to play shows only sounded expensive. 

“That’s my problem to deal with. I’ll get you all to the UK. I would love a picture of you all outside of Big Ben!” 

“Dad…” Steven sighed again, it wasn’t as if he wasn’t grateful for his dad, but Steven had lived independently for a lot of his life. With Greg unsure on how to support his son in the long run, he tried his hardest to support him in his current pursuits. 

“It’s just a suggestion, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to. When your mother and I used to go on tour overseas it was so much fun! You get to see parts of the world that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to see. It’s a huge adventure.” Greg attempted to sell the dream of playing shows abroad. It was a lot different from touring around the US, but it was always going to have been a good experience for them to have under their belt. 

“Thanks, Dad.” Steven half-smiled as he ate another fry. Slowly but surely he was going to have made his way through that meal. 

Greg stared out the window for a few seconds, pondering on other questions he could have quizzed his son on. He loved it when they got an opportunity to hang out with one another, although Steven mostly spent his time away from the band in what would have been considered a shitty apartment in the middle of nowhere. He often found himself visiting Greg.

“So, when are you going to tell me about this girl you mentioned?” Greg suddenly brought up as if it was an acceptable subject to speak about over what may have been considered a dinner table. 

“What girl?” Steven played dumb. He had spoken to his dad in the past about some of the women he had been with. Mostly claiming how hurt he had felt after they didn’t want anything to do with him, skimming over the whole section that contained them sleeping together. 

“Y’know...the one who’s a grou-”

“She’s not a groupie. She doesn’t even like the band. Well, her friend is super into the band and she’s just...being dragged along for the ride. It’s nothing.” Steven put up his shield of defence. Greg instantly took note of his defensive tone, a familiar tone he used to use upon denying his interest in the ever so famous Rose Quartz. 

“You’ve given her the ol’ Universe charm, right?” Greg questioned, unsure if Steven had even attempted to pursue the love interest of the girl he hadn’t known for as long as he wished he had. 

Steven had been pretty excited about Connie being there with them and Max and Connie tagging along for the ride made things considerably better. After kissing Connie the previous night he had started to get used to the idea that she wasn’t going to be like anyone else he had ever been with before. This was a completely different experience. 

He had never kissed someone before without it leading to some kind of sexual activity. Steven and Connie’s kiss was more about broadening their connection. It was a confirmation to let them know that they were both very much interested in one another. Steven wasn’t quite so sure that it would have led to much else, he was still internally sceptical about it all despite his love for love and romance telling him otherwise. Steven would have been happy if they never kissed again throughout the entire tour, he was just having fun hanging out with her. 

“No. Well. Kind of. A little bit...” Steven couldn’t help himself but blush as he tried to explain himself nervously. He never really had much of an issue sulking to his father about the girls who didn’t quite seem to respond to his never-ending onslaught of love. His love could be overbearing at times, but it seemed as if he had never found the right person to receive it. 

“Oh yeah?” 

“Well, we kissed. That was...amazing.” Steven chuckled nervously, he was thankful to have been close enough to his dad to have those kinds of conversations. It should have been awkward and although it was slightly nerve-racking, he enjoyed the company of his father too much to deny him access to parts of his life. 

“Yeah?” Greg raised his eyebrows, he had never heard Steven talk so well about a girl he was pursuing. Most of the conversations that Greg had with Steven about women had mostly been consoling him after someone had rejected his romantic interest. This was completely different. 

“I’ve never met anyone like her before. I don’t want to...mess it up.” Steven sighed before running his fingers through his hair. 

“She kissed you back - right?”

“Well, yeah.”

“So, she’s probably interested in you too.” Greg smiled, the realisation hitting Steven a little bit harder than the conclusion that he had drawn within his mind. It felt so much more powerful coming from someone else. 

“Really?” Steven’s eyes lit up slightly, hearing the words from his father were impactful and made his internal being strain with love. He liked her. He liked her a lot. 

“How could she not be interested in you? Look at you! You’re so handsome!” Greg complimented Steven the best he could. Steven was most certainly an unconventional kind of handsome, but handsome nonetheless. 

“You’re just saying that!” Steven groaned, slightly embarrassed by his dad. He held his head in his hands before running his fingers through his hair. He placed his hands on his neck before smiling up at his father, confidence somewhat flowing through him at his words. 

“You’ve got your mother’s smile.” Greg grinned, unable to help himself from making the comment. It wasn’t the first time that Steven had heard the phrase and although the mention of his mother often dampened the mood - this time it didn’t quite destroy everything. 

“You’ve told me that before.” Steven smirked shyly, Greg once again seeing that same smile that Rose used to give him. 

“That’s because it’s true.” 

Steven brushed his fingers against his bottom lip, realising how intensely his father was looking at him. It pained him knowing how hurt his father had become after losing his mother. Their love for one another stretched further than what Steven could ever imagine. He wished he had seen them together more often other than the blurred memories he had of them holding each of his hands as he swung between them. 

“Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“You are definitely coming to the show tonight, right?” Steven asked, a little unsure as to what he wanted his answer to be. On one hand, he was excited to have his dad at the show and the other half of him was a little less inclined, knowing he would want to put on the best show possible. 

“Oh boy, you bet I am! I wouldn’t miss your show, I’m so excited to see you guys play again. I can’t promote a band and not go and see them play.” Greg laughed, he had wanted to see the band play again for a long time. He couldn’t quite imagine how much they had improved since the last time that he had seen them together, the last time being in a recording studio a few months back. 

Greg had made sure to pick a date for the Nashville show that lined up with his schedule, clearing his evening and making sure that was something that he could have attended. 

“Yeah, I guess not.” Steven chuckled, smiling at his dad, a sudden rush of excitement propelling through him as he thought about his dad attending the show. 

Steven spent the rest of the day hanging with his father opposed to hanging out with the rest of the band. He had already texted Connie at the beginning of the day who was currently travelling and spending her time in a weird sounding museum with Max. It wasn’t something that Steven was interested in, but he took note so that he could have spoken about it with her later on. 

They didn’t do much other than hang around, catch up and spend some well needed time together. Steven was sometimes upset that he didn’t get to see his dad every single day. They had a pretty close relationship and although Steven was never inclined to ask for help financially from the man it wasn’t as if he didn’t want to spend time with him. 

Greg never let anyone know quite how much money he had, but regardless of whether or not he had it - he never let it show. Greg was incredibly down to earth and having spent the vast majority of his life in a similar position to Steven when touring, he had gotten used to living in a van. So much so that although he had splashed on an upgrade - he still lived on a tour bus. 

It was better than living in the rusty old van that he had spent his youth living in. The same van that Steven had reluctantly been raised in after his mother had passed away. 

Just before the show, the band had gone outside for a quick smoke, Max and Connie found their way around the building to join them on their natural pre-show warmup. It felt weird for Steven and Connie to have been in the same vicinity considering only last night they had been exploring the inside of one another’s mouth. 

Steven chewed his bottom lip whenever she was around, a little bit of anxiety passing over him as he noted the fact that his dad was also inside of the venue. He would have two people cheering him on that night and that would have felt pretty good. There was so much that went through his head when he was on stage and yet with the both of them there it would have only tripled his thoughts. 

“We’re about to go on the longest leg of our tour. Do you know how much driving we have to do? It’s unnatural!” Jenny groaned as she leant her back up against the wall of the venue, venting her frustrations to the people surrounding her. 

“We’ve done it before.” Buck shrugged, although he didn’t want to spend the next couple of days cooped up in the back of the van - he had some audiobooks to catch up on and would have loved the free time to listen to them. 

“How do you guys deal with it?” Sour Cream asked the two girls that were standing opposite them, not participating in the same smoking activities that the band had been doing. 

“Aren’t you guys supposed to be the seasoned tour-goers? This is the longest I’ve ever driven!” Connie folded over her arms before smirking, catching glimpses from everyone in the band. Despite some of their first interactions being a little bit off, the band had never meant anything more than playful teasing towards Connie, they hadn’t quite meant for it to go as far as it did. Connie had been warming up to them a lot more since. 

“Hey, we take it in turns!” Max argued. 

“I mean…” Connie gritted her teeth together, she most certainly spent a lot more time behind the wheel. If she could have gained experience points for driving she would have been at the highest level by the end of the tour. The number of miles that they had already covered was insane. 

“I kind of just zone out. Just...I sometimes forget I’m driving.” Steven inputted, everyone, mistaking his words for something completely different. 

“Steven - that’s  _ really _ worrying. I don’t think we should let you drive anymore. I’m scared.” Jenny furrowed her eyebrows with concern, a little bit shocked with Steven’s comment. 

“N-no, that’s not what I-”

“No, I get it!” Connie added, causing Steven to immediately smile at her defensive nature. “It’s more that you lose yourself so much when you’re driving that you just end up being at your destination without realising. It’s not that you’re not concentrating - but you do kind of zone out.” Connie shrugged as she spoke, trying to make sense of his words. 

“Yeah! That!”

“Okay, well, that still sounds terrifying.” Jenny shook her head, knowing that she would now have spent the whole time when Steven was driving worrying about the fact he wasn’t completely concentrating. It was concerning to think about. 

“Don’t worry, I’m a pretty good driver. I don’t tend to just forget I’m driving. That sounds _incredibly_ irresponsible.” Max nodded towards Jenny, wanting nothing more than to flex her responsibility. 

Connie rolled her eyes before catching Steven’s stare and a small smirk that was creeping up the side of his face. Oh, what he would have done to press his lips against hers just as he did the night before. Just as his dad had said - she must have liked him back else why would she have kissed him? It certainly wasn’t like all the times before. This was a romantic kiss. 

It had to be. 

The back door of the venue opened and a man with long brown hair and neatly trimmed facial hair revealed himself, glancing over the band and the two new additions that they had made. 

“Do you guys always wait this late to go outside? You’re on in like two minutes. Jeez, you kids are killing me.” Greg ran the palm of his hand across the top of his head, trying to relieve the stress within him. 

The band had done just fine without Greg making them keep to a schedule the whole time. Although, perhaps it was nice to have someone to remind them as to when it was that they needed to go on stage. Especially it being a familiar face rather than a stranger who began to shout about them missing their slot. 

“We’ll be right there, Dad!” Steven shouted, making sure that his father knew they wouldn’t have been long. 

Connie glanced over to the door and took note of his father. Connie didn’t quite know what she was expecting his father to look like, but she certainly didn’t expect him to look exactly as the pages on the internet had depicted. 

Greg Universe. Once a roadie on tour with  _ The Gems _ only to fall in love with the lead singer Rose Quartz. When Connie read the articles, it sounded like something from a cheesy movie. She hadn’t quite believed it. Either way, they fell in love, Rose fell pregnant and had Steven. Tragic events were soon to follow. 

Greg was a rich band manager and music producer, having even worked with a few bands that Connie recognised the names of. It had never really occurred to Connie how famous Steven’s family were, but they were incredibly well known by the general public. Steven didn’t quite grow up in the prying eyes of the public, meaning that he had been allowed a somewhat private life. It still wasn’t great, but at least he was able to go to a supermarket without being bothered. Usually. 

“We’ll probably try to hit some of the roads before the end of the night. Might have to catch you guys at the next show.” Sour Cream stood up straight, removing his back from the wall. It would have been yet another night filled with aggressive drumming. 

“We can hang out in between, right? They’re part of the band!” Steven suddenly threw in his opinion. Of course, he wanted to make sure that throughout the next couple of days they would have hung out. After Austin, it was once again another long journey over to Scottsdale. It would have taken them a few days at least and luckily the tour had been set up in such a way to allow for that travel. That didn’t mean they wouldn’t have to spend the majority of their day driving. It would have been incredibly tiring. 

“Oh yeah, we’re not leaving the cuties behind.” Jenny pouted over towards the three boys in her band. Buck and Sour Cream exchanged quick shrugs between one another. 

“Well, I’m not leaving the band behind.” Max shot finger guns at them all. 

Steven and Connie looked at one another. They didn’t want to leave each other behind and although they couldn’t quite say the words out loud they both knew that their longing looks said a million words. 

“Well, we’ve got your numbers - right?” Sour Cream asked.

“I’ve got Connie’s!” Steven piped up, a little too excitedly. Everyone stopped and looked at him, how he had spoken was rather questionable. It was just a number. Steven read the room before awkwardly looking around for an escape. “From when the van broke down. Y’know? She had to text me. Remember?” Steven chuckled nervously, desperately trying to find an excuse for why he may have had the number other than the fact he had been texting her somewhat flirtatious things ever since. 

“Yeah, Steven - that’s cool. I’ve got Max’s number. We’ll keep in contact.” Jenny practically ignored Steven’s inability to speak with any confidence, nodding towards Max. 

“Certainly, captain!” Max saluted towards Jenny, taking note of her instructions. 

The group dispersed. Making their way onto the stage as Max and Connie found their way into the crowd. Once again, Connie took her place at the back of the venue and watched with contentment. There was nothing she found more interesting in that current time than the way that his fingers slid up and down the neck of the guitar with such little effort. 

Although Steven believed he would have been nervous about playing in front of his father, Greg stood at the side of the stage and clapped and cheered his son whenever he hit the right notes. Greg had always been incredibly supportive and appreciative of all kinds of music. Greg was more than happy to listen to the emo drivel if it meant that his son was happy with playing it. 

There was no denying how talented Steven was and regardless of what kind of song he would have been playing - everyone would have loved it. 

Greg happily watched the show, incredibly proud of his son and all of the effort that he had put into building around the shows and the lyrics that he sang. If Greg were to have listened deeper into Steven’s lyrics he may have found a larger meaning and understanding to what Steven felt, although that didn’t quite seem to be productive. Greg knew that Steven was going to sing about whatever came from the heart and unfortunately, Steven had experienced a lot of pain there - just as Greg had done too. 

They understood one another and they understood the importance of putting their feelings through a song. It was important to both of them. 

“I’m so proud of you!” Greg threw his arm around Steven and scruffed the top of his sweaty hair, messing it up completely as he stood to the side of the stage. 

“Dad!” Steven groaned, attempting to swat his dad off as he held him. Steven stood up straight in front of his dad as the sound of the music system began to play a generic song to help flood the crowd out of the building. 

“You’re all so good! You crushed it and everyone loves you!” Greg was over the moon with excitement. The band had certainly blown him away. The energy that they had on the stage that night was a lot different from what they had shown just a few months ago. They were so much more comfortable than they were back then when Greg had last seen them perform.

“Really?”

“What do you mean ‘ _ really _ ’? Did you not hear them shouting?” Greg laughed as he pushed Steven gently in the shoulder. Steven looked down at where his father had made contact, bringing his hand up to touch the same location. 

“They do shout pretty loud...” Steven blushed, not wanting to gloat too much about the number of fans that were so happy and excited to see them all play. He loved the feeling of the crowd in front of him. 

“Next year. Star Destroyers. Brand new album. UK tour. What do you think?” Greg asked as he pulled Steven in for yet another half-hug. Steven didn’t mind one bit and allowed Greg to keep his arm around him. 

Steven thought about all of his words. They were only just embarking on one of their tours of the states, he wasn’t quite sure if they were ready for something like that just yet. Although, it seemed as if Greg had mentioned it twice. It was something that he really wanted to push on them all to do, an unmatched encouragement. He was excited for his son to expand on his horizons. 

“Yeah?” Steven shrugged, although he didn’t want to expand the band too much to become somewhat popular, he knew that there were quite a few adoring UK fans that would have loved to have seen them live. He didn’t want to disappoint them and he certainly didn’t want to disappoint his father. 

“We’ll talk about it when you’re ready, have a little jam together perhaps? Although, I’m pretty certain with those guitar skills you’ll easily outplay your old man.” Greg laughed, knowing that Steven had far surpassed his guitar skill. 

“I was taught by the best.” Steven grinned, Greg beaming in response to his words. Greg had taught him all of his musical knowledge, but it was Steven who was talented enough to pursue that interest into a career. With both of his parents being musicians and growing up around them, it was only natural for him to have fallen into that career path. It was everything he knew. 

Greg helped Steven pack away some of the gear off the stage and move it into the second van that was ready to take it to their next location. Steven wasn’t quite sure who it was that took all of their gear across the states, all he knew was it was a company that his dad had paid to do the job. 

The band had helped them to start off with and then disappeared into the back. Greg convinced them that him and Steven could pack the rest away. Greg didn’t get to pack away sets the same as he did when he was younger, so doing the task gave him a rush. 

As Greg and Steven stepped through the back of the venue they made their way to the room the band had been put in to hang out. When Steven entered with Greg, it seemed to have been empty - except for one person sitting on an old beaten up couch. 

“Where is everyone?” Steven questioned, only just seeing everyone on stage not too long ago. 

“Oh, they went out to smoke.” Connie looked up at both Steven and Greg in the doorway, exchanging glances between the both of them. She still couldn’t quite believe that in the previous night she had been kissing Steven Universe and now she had spent the current night staring up at him on stage. “D-do you want me to go?” Connie pointed to the door, not wanting to intrude on the relationship that Steven had with his father. 

“No, no - stay!” Steven insisted, not wanting to kick Connie out of the room. She had been there first, it would have been rude to do so. 

“Okay…” Connie felt a little awkward being in the presence of both Steven and his father. All she had done was kiss him - was it already time to meet the parents? She hoped not. Her parents wouldn’t have warmed up well to Steven. 

“Oh, Dad...this is Connie!” Steven gestured towards the girl sitting on the couch as she adjusted her glasses and smiled politely, adding a little wave to her greeting. Greg smiled back, connecting the dots in his mind regarding his previous conversation with his son. 

“Greg Universe. It’s nice to meet you, Connie.” Greg smiled as he walked over to the couch and held out his hand. The college student reached up and shook his hand, suddenly noticing where Steven got his intense body heat from. 

“It’s nice to meet you too, Mr.Universe.” Connie nodded politely.

“Um...Connie is touring with us. Well, her and her friend Max.” Steven made his way into the room, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly as he repeated why Max and Connie were there. As long as his dad didn’t think they were groupies then everything would have been fine. 

“Ever thought of a career as a roadie?” Greg questioned with a smile, relating her current adventure to a future career. Steven felt a little bit embarrassed by his father. 

“Not...really.” Connie admitted, chuckling lightly. 

“Connie is super smart, Dad. She’s not going to be a roadie.” 

“Hey! What do you mean by that?” Greg turned and laughed, embarrassing Steven further as he realised what it was that he had said that had caused some offence to his father. 

“Well, Connie could be a doctor or astronaut if she wanted. She’s _ smart _ .  _ Really _ smart.” Steven attempted to explain. After spending time with Connie and realising how dedicated she was to her studies when at college, that was all he could relate back to. That and her well thought out and logical answers to just about everything. 

“Astronaut is a  _ bit _ of a stretch.” Connie tittered as she pinched her thumb and index finger together, looking up at Greg, both of them knowing how Steven liked to exaggerate. Connie did, however, appreciate the compliments that Steven was currently giving her. It felt nice to hear them. 

“Astronaut or not - are you enjoying the shows?” Greg asked a more casual question that may not have felt so imposing. 

“Yeah! They’re super fun. It wasn’t quite my sort of music, to begin with, but I’m starting to appreciate it. It’s different - in a good way.” 

Greg leant towards Connie and used his hand to hide his words from Steven.

“Oh, I didn’t quite understand the whole emo thing at first either. I just let him do whatever he wants.” He whispered loud enough for Steven to hear if he had been paying enough attention. “Y’know what? I still don’t understand the emo thing.” 

“What was that?” Steven questioned. 

“Oh, nothing.” Greg sighed before winking at Connie who was now chuckling slightly at the man’s comments. Steven pouted, a little upset he wasn’t involved in the conversation between the two of them. 

It wasn’t very often that Greg got to meet any of the girls that Steven was interested in. In fact, it was likely that Connie was the first one. Greg had met a few in the past, but none of them stuck around long enough for Greg to take note. None of them had greeted Greg in the way that Connie had, if anything - he may have just seen them in the same room as Steven. 

Connie was different and Greg could immediately see why Steven had become smitten over her. Although Steven had never intended to go for the ‘party-girl’ types, they were just the sort of women he used to attract. Connie was well-spoken and reserved, if anything, Greg was pleased that they had found one another. 

It wasn’t long before the rest of the band joined them in the room, breaking up the short-lived conversations between Greg and Connie. Steven took his dad to the back of the venue and went to say goodbye, he wasn't quite sure when he was going to have been able to see his father next. 

"I'll see you when I'm back home?" Steven tilted his head as Greg threw his arms around Steven and pulled him in for a tight hug. This time, Steven was able to respond with a hug back as he held him tightly in response. 

"Yeah! Good luck on the rest of your tour, son. I'm so proud of you and everything you've achieved." Although Steven couldn't see him smiling over his shoulder, Greg made sure to grin at the comments he had made. He really was proud of Steven. 

"Thanks, dad."

"Steven?"

"Yeah?"

Greg pulled away from the hug, holding onto both of Steven's shoulders and looking him in the eyes. It was like looking in a mirror to see his former self. 

"I have a good feeling about that girl. I think she really likes you." 

"You really think so?"

"I _know_ so." Greg smiled as he scruffed the top of Steven's hair, making him chuckle. 

There wasn’t much else to say, but Greg left that night feeling confident that Connie would have been a good influence on his son. He hoped that they would have stuck together throughout the tour and beyond, but only time could tell. Despite Steven only knowing Connie for a week or so, they had gotten pretty close already. 

Eventually, Max and Connie made their way back to their motel, the band already setting off for their journey for a couple of hours to get ahead. It would have taken a little while to get to Austin, but nowhere near as long as some of the other journeys they would have faced along the trip. Things were starting to become a lot more about driving and Connie was more than ready to give up the wheel to Max for the most part. 

Either way, the band had their eyes set on making their way to their next stop. 

Austin, Texas. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you to TranscendentalSpaceGem, I was super stuck on this chapter. Needed a seasoned Greg-stan to give me a hand.


	9. Austin, TX

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's writing on the wall and it's a beautiful night to eat ice cream under the stars without a spoon...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 'Toober' is this universe's version of Uber. Just...roll with it. 
> 
> Thanks UwU.

It wasn’t until the night of the show in Austin that Max and Connie had seen the band again. There had been well over eight-hundred miles between Nashville and Austin, meaning that both Max and Connie had found themselves driving for over eight hours a day. It was incredibly long-winded, but the rewards were worth it. 

During the first day of travel after the Nashville show, Max and Connie had spent a lot of the time catching up and speaking to one another about the band and everything else in their life that just so happened to continue to crash into a never-ending blend of uncertainty. 

Despite Max having an interesting personality where she had spent a lot of her time being immature about a lot of things, she also spent a lot of her time having incredibly deep and thought-provoking conversations with Connie as they drove or as they stared at the ceiling of their motel room. 

Connie still couldn’t quite comprehend that just a couple of days ago she had been kissing Steven Universe on the outskirts of a forest after they had been on their makeshift camping trip. Connie felt somewhat hurt that there hadn’t been much more between them since other than a few text messages. 

Steven was trying his hardest when it came to Connie and keeping up with texting her was certainly different from anything he had ever experienced before. He didn’t want to be overwhelming - he knew he had made that mistake in the past. He wanted to make sure he was the best person possible for Connie. It was what she deserved. 

Their kiss had been so special. 

What was Connie doing? What was she thinking? 

Pining over some stranger who she had very little understanding of. Sure, they had shared some intimate conversations, but she wasn’t even sure if Steven  _ Universe _ was his real name.

Either way, Connie was stressed about her feelings over the man. A warm gooey feeling inside of her that she hadn’t quite felt about anyone else. At least, not something that she had felt in a long time to recognise what it was. She felt so different around him and she even noticed her temperature rise in his presence. She wasn’t quite sure what she was experiencing, but she didn’t want her little crush to go too far. 

He was handsome and kissing him had certainly been a new experience. She was all for experiencing different things on the trip, but that didn’t quite include trying to get with the frontman. 

At least, that hadn’t been her original plan. It wasn’t as if she was going to go out of her way to try and woo the boy. That wasn’t her intention. Although, the way that he looked back at her was mesmerising. The way that his lips had tasted earthy and minty all at the same time. The way his hair had felt between her fingers. The way he-

“Earth to Connie. Wakey wakey. The guys said they would meet us here so we could hang out.” Max snapped her fingers as she leant across the car towards Connie. 

Connie snapped up from her daze, she had been sitting inside of the car for a long time and had gotten a little bit lost inside of her mind. The previous day had been spent travelling and seemed to have been sucked into the void of time. It was as if it hadn’t ever existed. A full day of travel. 

Although, now they were in Austin and they would have been able to see Star Destroyers at the small venue that they had been provided with the location of. There was so much that Connie wanted to see and do in Texas and yet due to the vast amount of travelling they would have had to do to get to the next location on time, it wasn’t as if they could have stuck around for too long. 

“We’re here?” Connie blinked rapidly, unsure of where they were. It wasn’t as if she had been sleeping, but she had certainly been in a mind space that wasn’t the inside of the car. 

“Well, we’re not at the venue yet - we wanted to explore a bit of Austin. Right?” Max pulled into a parking lot that looked to be attached to some kind of strange-looking diner. 

Connie noticed a wall with the words  _ ‘Smile! Even if you don’t want to’ _ written on it. Her eyebrows dipped at the sight of the passive-aggressive sign.

“Where are we?” 

“Did you not hear me? We’re getting pizza at this dusty crusty restaurant.” 

“Pizza? Do they eat anything else?” Connie rubbed her eyes, groaning slightly at the idea of potentially having to eat pizza again. It didn’t seem as if the band’s diet varied, it was always just...pizza. 

“Connie, they’re an emo band - it’s  _ all _ they eat.” Max sighed, finding it strange that Connie hadn’t quite caught onto the habits of the genre just yet. “That and copious amounts of weed.” 

“I thought you told me pizza was pop-punk.” 

“Similar culture. Fewer khaki shorts.” 

Connie noticed the tour van in the parking lot as Max pulled in. She hadn’t seen them in a couple of days, both parties not even crossing paths when driving. The band had grown quite connected to the two people who were travelling across the country with them. It was nice to have people that were sharing that same experience with them. They enjoyed Max and Connie’s company.

It would have been nice for everyone to have sat down together and enjoyed a meal before the show. It wasn’t something that they had done often, but they were more than happy to settle for it after spending so long driving across the states. The amount of ground they had covered in such a short space of time was insane. 

Max and Connie didn’t have to go far before they saw the band sat in the outside eating area of the restaurant waving frantically for them to come over. 

“You made it!” Jenny cheered as she stood up and gestured for them to join them in the seating area. Naturally, there were two seats free between Steven and Jenny that they had saved.

“We sure did!  _ Welcome to Texas. Yee-haw _ !” Max put on a terrible accent as she took her place beside Jenny. Connie sat beside her, finding herself between Max and Steven. 

“This place is just _ too  _ hot.” Jenny complained as she pulled on her t-shirt to let some air in. 

“Texas is pretty prone to tornados. Let’s hope we don’t encounter one.” Buck stared across the table at the two guests, Connie feeling somewhat concerned by his comment. 

“Nature is terrifying. Let’s not go camping here.” Sour Cream suggested, not wanting to be engulfed by a wild animal or tornado. 

“Have you guys seen those videos of them crazy killer hornets? They eat all the bees. It’s  _ insane _ .” Max suddenly got involved in the conversation. 

“No. Bees must be protected at all costs.” Buck barely showed his internal outrage, unable to express more than a deadpan expression. 

“They can eat fifty a day.”

“That’s  _ so _ gross!” Jenny shook her head as Max began to exchange further gross nature facts, the band incredibly invested in what she had to say. 

Except for two of them. 

“Hi.” Steven whispered as he nudged Connie slightly with his elbow to get her attention, making sure they still looked somewhat like part of the conversation. 

“Hi.” Connie whispered back, smirking as she glanced over at Steven as they both sat close to one another despite being on separate chairs. 

“How was the drive?” 

“Long.” Connie attempted not to snort her answer, still trying to keep their conversation private. 

“The next three days are worse.” Steven sighed, realising quite how long the journey they had between Austin and Scottsdale was. 

“Will we see you guys during that time?” 

“We can always meet up. If you want to see me-” Steven bit his lip, realising the words he had allowed to pass through his lips. “If you want to see  _ us _ .” He quickly corrected, Connie still taking note of his mistake. 

“Yeah, I want to see you. See _ all _ of you.” Connie continued to smirk, playing with his words. A slight tease to drive him nuts. Steven placed both his hands onto his knees underneath the table and flushed a shade of red. Although Connie didn’t quite mean for the words to sound as suggestive as they did - they certainly took Steven’s mind elsewhere. 

“Is everyone going to order? I’m starving!” Jenny complained as she passed the menus around the table. 

Connie had a quick look at the menu only to notice that most of the items were either pizza or pie. She had certainly consumed her fair share of pizza on the tour. Her parents would never have approved of her awful diet - far too many saturated fats. 

The band and their two additions ordered food as quickly as they could, they still wanted to spend a section of what they had left of their day exploring the streets of Austin before having to play a show. They knew they had to make their way to the venue soon, but they wanted to take their time in the heat. The state capital was worth exploring. 

Steven had decided on ordering a cold beer to help offset the heat, even offering a sip to Connie. Connie tilted her head slightly at the suggestion. His question wasn’t forceful and didn’t pose to make her feel uncomfortable. Connie hesitantly took a sip of the beer, knowing that she wouldn’t have enjoyed it. She was right. 

Although Steven wasn’t quite part of the 'sober squad' in that current moment, Connie didn’t mind one bit. It wasn’t as if she disliked Steven smoking and drinking - it was just something that she didn’t quite want to participate in. She may have eventually gotten tipsy around everyone, but she was still a little unsure. 

After finishing their pizza and pies, the band decided on walking through Austin to see what there was to discover. Sour Cream had read online that there was quite a lot of street art and was interested to see quite a few pieces that he had his heart set on. 

The band walked down the street together, Sour Cream explaining to Buck about what he had previously read online and Max speaking to Jenny about just about anything that came to mind. Steven and Connie trailed behind the group, everyone caught up in their own world to notice that the two of them seemed to get paired off quite a lot. If Connie didn’t enjoy Steven’s company it would have been an incredibly awkward experience. 

Steven knew that at that moment he wanted nothing more than to thread his fingers through Connie’s hand. He had never held hands with anyone before, not romantically anyway. He would have loved to have shared that moment with Connie. It would have been the perfect moment. He couldn’t do it. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable in front of all their friends. 

“Oh, guys! Check this one out. It’s pretty iconic.” Sour Cream pointed to the opposite side of the street towards a cafe with the words  _ ‘I love you so much’ _ sprayed in red paint sat on the side of the wall. 

It was simplistic and yet there was something about it that held so much meaning. 

“Is this the one you were talking about with the story about the cute chick with her girlfriend?” Jenny questioned as they stood on the opposite side of the street and stared at the art from afar - tourists already taking pictures around the sight. 

“That’s the one. Pretty sweet, huh?” Sour Cream nodded towards the sight. Max pulled out her phone and snapped a quick picture. 

“Didn’t they have a huge drunk fight and then one of them went outside and wrote that on the side of their building?” Max asked, having heard Sour Cream tell the story not too long ago. 

“So then when they went to work the next morning they could be reminded of how loved they are by their significant other. It’s adorable.” Buck commented, retelling the story that Sour Cream had informed him of. 

“It sounds like true love!” Steven glanced across the street with starry eyes, staring at the words in wonderment. Despite everything, love came through. They were romantics. They loved one another more than whatever they were fighting about. It was beautiful and Steven loved the street art more than he would have wanted to admit. 

Connie looked over at Steven and saw him stare at the writing on the wall. It was certainly sweet, but it wasn’t something that Connie was head over heels for. She couldn’t have said the same about Steven, she had never seen him stare at something so intensely. He was in love with the simplistic romantic gesture. 

The band continued to make their way through the streets the best they could before they had to go and set up for the show. There wasn’t time to do much else throughout the day, but they tried to fill the void the best they could.

Connie and Max stood outside in line for the show, as much as they could have just gone in through the back with the rest of the band Connie was pretty certain they shouldn’t have been doing that at every show. They had paid good money for the tickets and if she knew that they could have just gone in through the back at every venue then she wouldn’t have bothered to spend the money. 

Despite having to wait, Max was glad of the opportunity. The band needed to set up and make sure everything was in working order for their show that evening and Max was more than ready to speak to Connie about something incredibly important. 

“Connie, I don’t ask very much of you - but I need your help.” Max leant against the wall as they kept in line at the front of the venue, Connie stood next to her with her arms folded. 

“I don’t like the sound of this already.”

“It’s nothing  _ bad _ .”

“I hate this even more now.” 

“Look, it’s just a simple favour. No biggie.” Max shrugged, Connie still unsure as to what could have come out of Max’s mouth. It truly could have been anything. 

_ Anything. _

“What do you want?” Connie sighed. 

Max stood up straight and looked over at Connie. Max looked around nervously before pushing her fingers together. 

“So, rumour has it that the band is staying in a hotel tonight. I think it’s the one across the street from ours...” Max began to explain. "Well, it's not really a rumour - Buck told me."

“I already don’t like where this is going.” 

“Listen. It’s not weird or anything, it’s just a really simple favour.” 

“What is it?” Connie was desperate to know what it was that her best friend wanted from her. If it was really that simple then why was it taking so long for her to talk about it? 

“I need you to distract Steven for...maybe an hour or two?” Max bit her bottom lip nervously, attempting to gauge her friend’s reaction. 

“Wait, what?” Connie’s expression dropped, incredibly confused by Max’s ask. 

“Well, Sour Cream and Buck are probably going to hit a local nightclub and I doubt Steven will join them. I just...I want to hang out with Jenny.” Max pressed her lips into a thin line. “Alone.”

“Oh no. Nope. No way.” Connie shook her head quickly. 

“C’mon - it’s not weird! I promise! Neither of you will come back into your rooms with anything questionable. It’s not-”

“Nope.” 

“Steven usually ends up in a room with Jenny out of the process of elimination, they’ll probably hang out together if Buck and Sour Cream go elsewhere. Steven goes to that weird ‘alone time’ thing a lot - just catch him then!” Max attempted to make the situation sound a little bit more pleasant. 

“What the hell am I supposed to do with Steven for two hours?” Connie argued back in an aggressive whisper, trying to make sure nobody else in the line knew what they were speaking about. 

“Do you really want me to answer that?” Max cocked an eyebrow, a million things shooting through her mind - mostly inappropriate. 

“Max!” 

“J-just...go and get ice cream.” Max shrugged.

“At like...one in the morning?” Connie huffed, unsure how Max’s plan could have possibly worked in her mind. 

“I’m sure I saw a 7-Eleven down the street.” Max pondered for a moment. 

“Wow…”

“Look, it’s one night. Two hours. Don’t give me any of that bullshit with you saying you don’t want to hang out with him. I know you do.” 

“I don’t.” Connie shook her head. 

She did. 

“Well, deny it all you want, but I just _know_ there’s something going on between you both.” Max squinted at Connie before pointing a finger to her friend’s chest. 

Connie felt a little nervous about Max pointing fingers. Did she know about the kiss? Had she seen them the other night? Of course she hadn’t. There was no way. 

“You’re wrong.”

“Hmm, I don’t think so - but I’ll let you keep lying to yourself if it makes you feel better.” Max shook her head slowly and Connie sighed in frustration. 

“If I somehow manage to get him away from you both - you owe me  _ big _ time.” Connie pointed back. 

“Yeah yeah, add it to the tab.” Max rolled her eyes before leaning back against the wall. She looked up and Connie and smirked. “Thanks though. You’re the best.” 

Connie, although frustrated, glanced up at Max and smiled back. 

“Yeah - I know.”

Connie was nervous. Would Steven even accept her offer of wanting to hang out around the town? With the infatuation he had with her she found it hard to imagine him rejecting the offer unless something swayed him otherwise. 

Max had somehow predicted correctly about Sour Cream and Buck wanting to go and burn off some more energy by making their way into nightclubs. Although they were both incredibly chill dudes, they did enjoy a good drum and bass night until the early hours of the morning after the completely different vibes of an emo show. 

This left Max, Jenny, Connie and Steven to their own devices. The band had already parked the van at the hotel they were staying in, Toobering over to the venue so they could drink. It wasn’t very often that they got to stay somewhere that wasn’t someone’s floor, but after the long drive, they knew that they deserved a real bed. Especially Steven who had certainly driven the most. 

Connie drove them all back to the hotel in Max’s car, having been the only one who hadn’t consumed alcohol or smoked weed that night. Max and Jenny sat in the backseat laughing about pretty much anything that they saw on each other’s phones. Steven sat in the passenger seat and stared up at the swinging air freshener shaped like a small tree that had lost its scent long ago. 

The car journey was less than ten minutes back to the hotel and everyone quickly piled out of the car. Max and Jenny weren’t waiting for anyone as they completely ignored Steven and Connie who were once again left to themselves. Connie internally thought that perhaps Max’s plans were more about getting her together with Steven than they were about getting her with Jenny. They didn’t seem to need any help. 

Connie shook her head at Steven as he smiled, seeing both Max and Jenny giggling to one another as they stumbled - far too high and drunk to comprehend much other than the hilarious videos that Max had found on TubeTube. 

“They look like they’re having fun.” Steven continued to smile as he looked at Connie over the roof of the car, slowly moving out of the way of the door and shutting it closed. 

“Worrying, right?” Connie snorted at the sight of them, locking the car once the doors were shut. 

“They can look after themselves.” Steven shrugged, stepping around the front of the car and awaiting Connie to join him. 

She looked over at him, the only thing illuminating them both was the streetlight above and the moonlight of the clear sky. They had been incredibly thankful for the weather throughout the tour. The only time they had encountered rain so far had been whilst driving and that wasn’t quite so bad. 

Despite having just played a show, he was wearing a long sleeve flannel shirt that he had worn throughout the day. Luckily, the men’s bathroom at the venue had some spare deodorant on the side otherwise his presence would have been a little more unwelcoming. Sure, using a random bottle of spray deodorant in a bathroom that he had found wasn’t one of his finest hours - but he wasn’t willing to wait until his shower back at the hotel they were staying in to somewhat ‘clean’ himself. 

Connie knew that she had been given a mission by Max and she had already agreed to follow it. She just needed to make sure it was a plan that Steven was willing to agree with too. Steven watched her carefully, her body language giving him mixed signals as they stood in silence for a moment, her fingers running across the car keys she was holding. 

“D-do you want to hang out?” Connie popped the question, slightly nervous to hear his answer. 

“Now?” Steven’s eyes widened. Connie was a little taken back by his expression, feeling somewhat nervous about the question.

“I mean, it is pretty late. We can alwa-” Connie began to panic. It was one in the morning. Why would he have wanted to hang out with her now? That was ridiculous. 

“No. I’m free now. I-if you want that is?” Steven interrupted her speech, feeling a little awkward. He wanted nothing more than to hang out with Connie. 

Alone. Was it a date? A mini-date? 

He had never been on one of them before. 

“Yeah! I’m free now too.”

“Good. What do you want to do?” Steven asked, intrigued with where her plan was going to take them. 

She didn’t have a plan. 

“Where do you want to go?” 

“You asked me to hang out. You have to decide.” Steven countered. Connie felt put on the spot and a little unsure of what to think of without seeming a little lame. 

“Maybe we could walk around? We might see something to do? Something that’s still open?” Connie shrugged her shoulders, she knew that bars and nightclubs would have been the only things open at that time of night. Either way, if Steven wanted to go inside of one of them she probably would have followed. She felt pretty safe within his presence despite him being somewhat of a stranger to her still. 

“Sure. That sounds like a plan. Are you ready?” Steven pointed his thumb over his shoulder towards the centre of town where they had been earlier when they had walked around aimlessly. He was ready to do that again, but this time with Connie. Alone.

“Yeah!” Connie walked over, standing beside him as they made their way into the town. Steven knew that Connie had no idea what they were going to do with the rest of their evening, but he was appreciative of the fact that Connie had asked him to hang out. They hadn’t seen one another for a while and they still hadn’t quite taken a moment to realise that only a couple of days ago they were kissing one another. 

Was that something that they needed to talk about? They couldn’t just sit in a strange limbo of not wanting to speak about it forever. 

“Do you usually explore new places after midnight?” Steven smirked at Connie as he held his hands in his pockets, making their way down the street together.

“I’m usually in bed by ten.” Connie laughed. 

“Oh. Sensible.”

“College is just really demanding. You’d think with the amount of money you pay you wouldn’t have to work so hard.” Connie chuckled once more as Steven listened contently to what she had to say - he had no idea what she was talking about when it came to college. 

“The money should go towards paying someone else to do your work. Right?” 

“Exactly! Oh, it’s all a big corporate scam. Don’t get me started. It’s just...we pay all this money to go to college and some of the facilities haven’t been updated in years. It’s insane. How can they expect us to pay such a large sum of money when half of the stuff we need to graduate is inadequate? Look, I go to a pretty fancy school and even sometimes they slack in their teaching abilities. I had this professor last year who spent most of the lectures on his phone. You _bet_ I reported him.” Connie huffed, suddenly realising that their simple conversation had turned into an excessive rant. “I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s okay. I like it when you talk about things you’re passionate about.” Steven grinned, it didn’t matter what she was talking about - he just wanted to be there to listen. 

“Well, why don’t you speak to me about music?” Connie suggested. 

“Music? But you hear me play every single night. Are you not sick of it yet?” 

“If I was that sick of it I would have driven home already.” Connie laughed, making sure to tease him whenever the time was right. She knew this could get under his skin in a subtle yet flirtatious way. 

“Yeah? Well, I’m glad you stuck around.” Steven smiled, somewhat pushing the conversation back onto them both. 

“Even if I wanted to - Max wouldn’t let me leave.”

“That’s true.” Steven chuckled, beginning to understand how attached her friend was to the band and to Connie. 

They continued to walk down a singular street a little further until they reached an area that felt familiar. It seemed a lot different in the dark, the sidewalk illuminated by streetlights. There were a few people walking around, but this side of town didn’t seem to be the one that contained a lot of nightlife. The street was mostly littered with cafes and independent stores. 

“Hey, isn’t that the cafe with the writing on the side of it?” Connie pointed over to the cafe that she remembered from earlier on during the day. 

“Yeah, I think so.” Steven confirmed as they continued to step closer. 

The outside of the cafe was no longer littered with tourists. They stood on the correct side of the street, right beside the words painted in red against the somewhat green building. Steven and Connie stood beside one another as they turned around and stared at the writing. 

“ _I love you so much..._ ” Steven read out loud, his eyes grazing over the text on the wall. Connie listened to the words falling from his lips. 

“Cute, right?” Connie smiled at the writing, the backstory that Sour Cream had given them earlier on during the day made the whole thing far better than just a couple of words on the side of a building. 

“Super cute. Imagine waking up in the morning, believing that the person you love doesn’t love you anymore and then you go outside and see that! It’s...I love it.” Steven pointed to the wall, a little bit excited about the story that had been told about the words. He was simply a romantic and loved the gesture and the deeper meaning. 

“You really _ love  _ love, huh?” Connie chuckled, looking over at him continuing to stare up at the wall in front of them. 

Her words bounced within Steven’s mind before he turned his head to face her.

“Y-yeah. I do.” He confirmed. Of course he loved love, he had been surrounded by it his entire life. Except, he was yet to experience it himself. 

Connie found it sweet that the boy was a romantic. She could definitely tell by the way that he acted around her that he was an incredibly kind and respectful individual. Although he had flirted with her numerous times, she knew he was ready to hold back if anything were to ever make her uncomfortable. He had even asked permission before kissing her. He tried his hardest to be a romantic and a gentleman. 

“Have you...ever been in love?” Connie looked away as she spoke, unsure as to why she would have asked such a question. 

“I...I don’t think so. Well, I’ve probably thought I was a few times in the past. I’m just...I’m not very good at it.” Steven scratched the back of his neck, a little curious to know why Connie was asking a question like that. It wasn’t that he minded her asking the question - but it was confusing him slightly. He didn’t quite think there would have been a right answer. 

“Good at what?”

“Love.” Steven laughed. 

“Oh. What makes you think that?” Connie cocked an eyebrow, suddenly far more invested in the conversation than she would have liked to have admitted. She didn’t want to pry too deep into his private life, but the conversation topic had come up quite suddenly. It was hard not to ask questions. 

Steven wasn’t quite sure if he should have revealed his past to Connie. Would it have ruined his chances with her? Was this the kind of thing that had pushed all the other women in his life away? 

“People don’t really like emotional attachment.” Steven shrugged, not wanting to give too much away about his past ‘relationships’. 

“Oh.” Connie stared back up at the writing on the wall, Steven was quick to do the same. It was clear it was a conversation topic that he didn’t want to speak about further. A sensitive subject that made Steven squirm with anxiety - especially around Connie.

“I hope that people consider this art. I think it deserves that title at the very least.” Steven sighed as he placed his hands into his jean pockets and continued to look up at the wall. 

Connie felt somewhat bad about bringing up the subject of love, although it wasn’t exactly her fault considering the kind of mural they were currently standing in front of. The words came with a million different meanings. She held her arm, feeling a little awkward as she thought about how she could bring up the one thing that had been on her mind the past couple of days. She had to do it. 

“I’ve been thinking a lot about the other night…” Connie began to speak. Although there had been a couple of nights between them, Steven automatically knew what night she was referring to. 

“Yeah?” Steven’s head instantly turned towards her, his hands still anxiously clenched inside of his pockets. She was going to reject him. Tell him that she never wanted anything to do with him again. He had blown it. He was wrong about her - it was going to be just like all the times before. Connie didn’t want anything to do with him. 

It was over.

“I can’t believe we kissed…” Connie placed her fingers by her bottom lips to stop herself from smiling, her face flushing red. 

“I-is that a bad thing?” Steven’s eyebrows dipped as he stared at her with concern in his expression. He had felt this rejection time and time again. 

“N-no! It’s not a bad thing. It’s just...I’d never kissed anyone like  _ that _ before.” Connie chuckled nervously. Sure, kissing guys at college had sometimes gotten a little passionate. Although, nothing had ever felt like that. 

“Oh. I’m...sorry?” Steven bit his bottom lip, unsure as to what Connie was trying to say to him. 

Connie felt the pain in his expression, instantly stepping forward and placing her hands on either side of his arms, his hands still tucked in his pockets. 

“You don’t have to be sorry! I liked kissing you, silly.” Connie laughed, suddenly feeling as if she had a sudden burst of confidence as his expression dropped. 

Steven felt her touch on either side of his arms, removing his hands from his pockets and placing them on her arms in return. They stood for a moment, exchanging a small stare between them. One of their many longing looks that they did in the presence of others. This time the only company they had was the occasional passerby and the odd car driving down the street. They were practically alone. 

“I liked kissing you too.” Steven whispered. 

Connie was once again pulled in by his tone of voice, his presence in front of her one of a different kind of nature. She felt one of his hands move slowly from her arm to the side of her face, giving her enough time to reject his advances if she didn’t want to pursue. 

He took a step closer into her personal space as she moved her hands to his chest, no longer able to put them on his arms. Connie looked at him again, his eyes a hazy colour under the streetlight that was just a few steps away from them. He slowly ran his thumb against her cheek before he tilted her head slightly and leant in for a kiss. 

Connie welcomed the kiss, allowing his lips to press against hers in the same way as they had done a couple of nights ago. Although they were in what was a busy tourist location throughout the day, it didn’t seem to bother her that the occasional person would walk past them. She was too lost in the moment to care. 

He was an expert in guiding the kiss which was a large help for Connie as she barely had any idea as to what she was doing. Either way, it seemed to have been an enjoyable experience for them both. Steven was worried about overstaying his welcome, releasing himself from the long kiss before planting a few shorter kisses against her lips. 

Before Steven could pull away, Connie took him back for another slow kiss. This time she ended the kiss as slowly as possible, making sure that they could feel each other smile against their lips. Their noses were pushed together, Connie’s hands now wrapped around the back of Steven’s neck. 

“We’re getting pretty good at that...” Steven hummed as he continued to hold her, the confidence in his words slowly returning. He was good at flirting and he knew it. He was handsome and could do it regardless of what his mind was willing to tell him.

“You were already pretty good.” Connie practically slurred against his lips, he felt her breath against him. 

“Well, we should probably keep practising to make sure we’re both caught up.” Steven smiled, his eyes still closed as he cupped her cheek with his hand. He was incredibly alluring and Connie was finding it hard to resist his charm. This was all she had been thinking about the past couple of days. The only thing on her mind. 

Connie laughed, gently putting her lips on top of his for a further kiss. This time deepening it a little further, enough to be romantic and not cause any turmoil in public. As they found themselves lost within each other’s lips a car horn loudly sounded behind them, making them both jump. 

They practically knocked their teeth together as they jumped, the car clearly getting a kick out of beeping their horn at them both. The sudden noise made them both laugh as they completely pulled away from the kiss. They had both become pretty nervous that they had been caught in the act. Although, nobody in the area really cared about them other than themselves. 

They stood and giggled at each other for a moment, the writing on the wall beside them being an aesthetically pleasing backdrop for their pursuits. 

“Do you want to go and get ice cream?” Connie asked, following Max’s advice for some unknown reason. 

“What? Where are we going to get ice cream at this time of night?” Steven laughed, still unable to control himself after only just finishing laughing from the last hilarious thing they had experienced. 

“Max said there was a 7-Eleven down the street.” 

“I mean, sure...why not?” Steven shrugged, a little perplexed by Connie’s plan. 

They began to walk along the sidewalk once more, leaving the words on the side of the building for tourists to enjoy the next morning. Steven couldn’t quite believe he had kissed the girl again, his attraction for her rising. He had certainly never felt this way about anyone before. 

Neither of them hid the fact as they walked with huge grins spread across their faces, far too happy with the kisses that they had just taken part in. Steven decided that he wanted to shoot his shot and dig a little deeper on the surface, his romantic fantasies somewhat becoming a reality. 

Connie glanced down at the palm of his hand as he held it out in front of her as they walked. His hand was open in such a way that if she so desired she could have slotted her fingers between his - so she did. Her fingers fell so gently into place as they allowed their hands to fall to their side intertwined together. 

They were holding hands. That only made them smile more. 

Max was right in her brief knowledge of the area and they made their way into the convenience store. There was a lot that they could have brought in there, but they still stuck to what they had originally gone in to buy. Ice cream. 

Other than when Steven had offered to pay and quickly pushed his card against the contactless machine before Connie even got a chance, they hadn’t disconnected their hands from one another. Connie loved the warm hold of his hand and he couldn’t help but feel the same way about her. 

With a small pot of ice cream and a branded plastic bag, they made their way back to the hotel. Although, they decided not to go back into the room much to Connie’s pleasant surprise. She was concerned at what kind of suggestion that could have brought on.

Instead, they found themselves sitting by the Colorado River that ran through Austin. A small bench overlooked the river and all of the lights that sounded the city. 

“We don’t have a spoon.” Connie suddenly came to the realisation as Steven sat with the pot of ice cream on his lap. Steven stared down at the ice cream and started laughing. 

“Oh...well...do we have to use our hands?” Steven continued to laugh, the whole situation was hilarious to him. 

“No! That’s gross.” Connie began to laugh along with him, both of them struggling to get their words in. 

Steven pulled off the lid of the ice cream. It was cookie dough flavoured - Steven’s choice. Connie’s eyes widened as he went to dip his finger into the top of the pot, she suddenly leant forward and gripped onto his wrist. 

“What are you doing? When did you last wash your hands?” Connie gasped, somewhat disgusted by his potential behaviour. Steven glanced up at her, her hand gripping tightly on his wrist. 

“Um...the venue.” 

“What have you touched since then?” Connie furrowed her eyebrows in disgust. Steven glanced off to the side attempting to recall his night. A small smile crept up the side of his face.

“You…” 

Connie gave him a stern expression, shook her head and then used her hand holding his wrists to push his finger into the top of the ice cream. Steven gasped at the sudden change in temperature, his knuckles brushing against the top of the ice cream. Connie smirked, realising that she had completely ruined her chance of eating any of it. She didn’t like being wasteful - but this had been totally worth it. 

Steven removed his finger from the ice cream, hooking it around and taking a large amount of ice cream with it. 

“Want some?” Steven held out his finger, offering the ice cream to Connie. She moved backwards and grimaced.

“I’m okay, thanks.”

“Are you sure? There’s plenty!” Steven teased as he held his finger closer to Connie, only causing her to back away further in disgust. She grabbed his wrist and pushed it back towards him, she knew that he was stronger than her but he certainly didn’t put up much of a fight. 

“Nope!”

Steven opened his mouth and ate the ice cream that had been dangerously balancing on the end of his finger. His mouth made a popping sound as he removed his finger and Connie watched in slight disbelief. Just as he went to grab some more ice cream with his finger Connie shuffled closer once more and stopped him. 

“Wait!” 

“What?”

“You’re putting your spit in that ice cream now. What if I want to have some? Can’t you admit that’s a _little_ gross?” Connie furrowed her eyebrows, releasing her grip from his wrist once again. 

Steven shrugged before dipping his finger in the ice cream much to Connie’s horror.

“Steven!” Connie gasped as she watched him devour the ice cream for a second time. 

“Spit isn’t gross when we’re kissing, but it is in your ice cream?” Steven laughed, causing Connie to come to the realisation of what on earth she was thinking. It didn’t make any sense. 

“I-”

“So, do you want some?” Steven smirked, continuing to be consistent in trying to get Connie to take some of the ice cream. 

“Yes, but I’m not eating it from your finger.” Connie snatched the pot of ice cream from Steven. He didn’t argue, letting her take it as he leant his elbow against the back of the bench and balanced his head on his knuckles. 

Connie couldn’t quite look down at the ice cream when all she could concentrate on was Steven’s flirtatious stare from the opposite side of the bench. He was so incredibly handsome and she felt a little self-conscious with him constantly looking at her as if she was the most important person in the universe. She gently pushed her hair away from her face, worried that he was picking out all her imperfections. 

He wasn’t. He was too entranced by her. Everything about her was perfect. The slight discrepancies in her hair from where she hadn’t brushed it since the morning or the zit that was growing beside her right eyebrow that hadn’t quite come through yet. It didn’t matter. None of it mattered. They were all added to her beauty and Steven loved it. 

“You’re so amazing...” Steven spoke under his breath, unable to remove his eyes from her. He wanted to look at her as much as possible. 

Connie held the ice cream and smiled back at him, both of them sat opposite one another on the bench. 

“Says the rockstar.” Connie smirked.

“Not quite.” Steven winked, blushing slightly at her comment. 

Connie reluctantly dipped her finger into the ice cream and took a bite. Steven watched her every move, a stupid smile on his face the entire time. 

"Y'know...this is pretty good. Good shout on the cookie dough." Connie nodded her head in confirmation. 

"I'm a professional ice cream taster." 

"Oh, yeah?"

"Well, not quite - I just _really_ like ice cream." 

"Me too..." Connie smiled, looking at him with wonderment and realising in that moment that perhaps spending her time with Steven Universe wouldn’t have been such a bad thing. 

The tour had become less about the music and more about the people who made it. 


	10. Scottsdale, AZ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you know that kisses are currently worth more than Bitcoin? Stonks.

“So, what did you two get up to?” Max questioned as she stared over at Connie who was first in line to drive for their three-day trip to Scottsdale. 

“We went and got ice cream, as per your suggestion.” Connie told nothing but the truth, lifting a single hand off the steering wheel as she spoke. 

“Wait, really?”

“Yes. You suggested it - did you not?” Connie cocked an eyebrow as she drove. 

“Well, yeah. I just...I didn’t expect you to  _ actually _ go and get ice cream. That’s way more innocent than I assumed. Huh.” Max stared out of the window and pondered on Connie’s words, curious to know if there was more going on between her and Steven Universe. There was a possibility that could have been the case. 

“I’m assuming what happened between you and Jenny was less innocent then?” 

“Even if it was - I don’t remember.” Max sighed. 

“Wait, what?” Connie was confused. 

“Oh yeah, I have no idea what happened. I think I had too much to drink at that pizza place. Not only that, but I’m telling you now - there was something weird in that weed last night.” Max shook her head, still attempting to get rid of the headache that she had been burdened with since she had rolled out of bed in the morning. 

“Oh.” 

“Did you see us doing anything...weird?”

“Last time I saw you both you were laughing over a video of a cat meowing underwater. Then I saw you passed out in your bed when I returned to the hotel. That’s it. That’s all I know of your crazy night.” Connie sighed, sharing everything she knew about Jenny and Max from the previous night. 

“Huh. Weird. I guess we’ll never know the truth.”

“Y’know what? That’s probably for the best.” Connie was glad that Max hadn’t pressed further into what she had spent her night doing with Steven. It hadn’t just been about the ice cream and an inkling in the back of Max’s mind had told her that it wasn’t all innocent. 

She didn’t want to push Connie on the questions. Although Max had noticed that whenever Connie hadn’t been driving she had been spending an awful lot of time texting rather rapidly on her phone. Connie had never really been the kind of person to spend copious amounts of time on her phone, so seeing her using it for much else other than studying seemed odd to Max. 

Connie had been exchanging text messages with Steven whenever they had found themselves not having to be the one to drive. Their text messages were a mixture of friendly chatter and slight flirtation. Connie had never texted anyone the same way that she had texted the contact on her phone with the small guitar emoji beside their name. 

The first day without seeing the band went rather quickly. Max had texted Jenny to see how the band was getting on and everyone seemed to have been getting on just fine with the travel. They had been on tours before and knew what it was like to travel across the country. Connie was still slightly anxious about getting to the point of bothering the band - but it had certainly passed that. They were all friends. 

Perhaps Connie had made her way as more than a friend for Steven and that was certainly something. A potential love interest? 

Connie was scared of the idea. She sure did like him, but how soon was too soon? How did people figure out if they liked someone? It felt so foreign to her. 

Steven had stretched himself unsafely across the back of the van as he made sure to relax before having to get back inside of the driver’s seat. He stared at his phone, awaiting the next text message from Connie. It wasn’t as if they were even being particularly flirty at that moment, simply sharing their opinions on their favourite sodas. It was a simplistic conversation, but one that allowed them to get to know one another slightly more. 

“If you look at that thing for any longer you might get sucked in. We’d be pretty bummed if that happened.” Buck turned in his seat, voicing his concern for Steven’s newfound love for his phone, absorbing as much blue light as humanly possible. 

“It’s cool. I’m just texting.” Steven sat up, refusing to remove his eyes from his phone. 

“Ooo is lover-boy texting _ again _ ?” Jenny teased as she looked up into the rearview mirror and stared at Steven who was sitting on the very back seat. 

“Hey, you’re always on your phone!” Steven countered towards Jenny. 

“Not right now.”

“You’re driving!” Steven sighed as he put down his phone and threw his hand out towards the front of the van. 

“So, like...are you and Connie a thing?” Sour Cream suddenly asked as he turned around in the seat beside Buck. Was everyone going to keep asking him these questions no matter what he said to get them to stop?

“N-no! We’re just...we’re friends!” Steven wasn’t quite sure how to get them off his back. He had to say something. 

“So, you haven’t slept-”

“No! It’s not like that. This is...different.” Steven looked back down at his phone to check for another text. 

Sure, Steven had been incredibly sexually active with all of the people he had met in the past. It seemed strange to Steven to have spent such a vast amount of time with Connie without getting to the point of sleeping with her. It wasn’t as if that was his usual pursuit, but that was all that women had ever wanted from him. It was strange that Connie wanted to be there to kiss him and make him feel good. To be somewhat of a friend. 

Was that normal? Was that how it was supposed to feel when you liked someone? Steven was certainly interested in her and he would have loved to eventually have been with her in other ways. That was on her terms. He didn’t want to rush anything - not this time. This time was new and exciting. 

“Wait. You haven’t slept with her yet?” Jenny’s eyes widened as Steven noticed her appear in the rearview mirror once again. 

“Not that it’s any of your information, but no - I haven’t.” Steven gritted his teeth together, growing somewhat frustrated with the fact that his friends believed his only relationships with women had been strictly sexual. 

They were right. 

“That’s a good thing though - right?” Buck held onto the chair, looking back at Steven. He was still wearing his sunglasses. 

“What do you mean?” Steven furrowed his eyebrows, concerned that everyone in the van was suddenly out to get him. 

“Well, it means she likes you.”

“Yeah, Steven! You’re a real cutie, but ain’t nobody chasing you for nearly two weeks just to get in your pants. She’s after something else.” Jenny inputted the slightly offensive comment. Steven tried not to let it get to him. 

“Woah. An  _ emotional _ groupie. Rad.” Sour Cream nodded. 

“They’re not groupies!”

“She likes you as a person, Steven. That’s beautiful.” Buck smiled, keeping himself turned in his seat enough to see him. 

“It’s not like that.” Steven attempted to lie through his teeth. He was pretty bad at doing so. 

“Is it like Portland?” Sour Cream asked. 

“Nope! Definitely not!” Steven laughed awkwardly as he unlocked and locked his phone, still awaiting a text back. 

“We’re just looking out for you, man. We don’t want you to get hurt. You’re our favourite frontman.” Buck grinned as he spoke. 

“Look, guys, I appreciate the concern. I do. It’s just not like that. Connie is a lovely person and I respect her a lot. We’ve grown close this past week or so and that’s okay. Jenny has gotten close to Max, I don’t see anyone bothering her about that.” Steven chuckled, trying his hardest to get the conversation topic off himself. 

“That’s because I don’t usually spend the tour trying to fuck my way into a relationship with a stranger,  _ Steven _ .” Jenny sighed, emphasizing his name as she spoke, frustrated and unwilling to be a part of the conversation. 

Steven felt a little hurt by the comment. The issue being that was the truth. He did usually try and fuck his way through the tour and usually, it worked. Although, this tour he hadn’t slept with a single person. Instead, he had been focusing his efforts on the girl that he thought that perhaps he may have been romantically interested in. He didn’t have to have sex with her to realise that he liked her. This was different. 

He liked Connie. He liked her far more than he had liked anyone before and they hadn’t even slept together. They didn’t need to and that was an important thing for him to remember. 

Buck and Sour Cream exchanged a quick look of concern, not wanting to hear how the rest of the argument played out. Although, there wasn’t going to have been an argument. Steven didn’t have the energy to fight anyone. 

“Whatever. It’s fine. It’s not like that one bit. This is different.” Steven huffed, assuring them that this certainly wasn’t like the other tours that they had been on where he had spent the majority of his time attempting to find love. 

It wasn’t his fault that nobody wanted to love him as much as he was willing to love them. How was he supposed to know if a girl was only there for sex and nothing else? All he wanted was to have a fulfilling romantic relationship and yet nobody had ever asked that of him. 

The second day of travelling to Scottsdale came around pretty quickly. This time, the band managed to catch up with Max and Connie. They crossed paths one evening when they decided to stop over in a motel, once again pouring some cash into somewhere to stay. Although they were still paying for the repairs on the van, the last couple of shows that they had played they had gotten a lot of money back on merchandise. It felt good to have been able to stay somewhere for the night once again. They were living in luxury and they had a shower! 

Connie was beginning to get impatient. They had finally crossed paths once more and yet it was getting pretty hard for her to catch a break with Steven. All of the sneaking around they had been doing didn’t seem to be healthy for either of them, but they both enjoyed the rush of hiding their small romance from the rest of the people in their party. 

Text message after text message, most of which had very little substance to them. Connie had never been so attached to her phone in her entire life. In a way, it was beginning to worry her. She didn’t want to look at her screen time, it would have only concerned her with how big the number would have been. 

Max flicked through the channels on the beaten up television, she was surprised it even worked. As much as they wanted to hang with the band, they had agreed to hang out once they had gotten to Scottsdale. The trip was proving to have been more of a drive than they had first thought. It felt as if they had been stuck in Texas for years. 

“Ugh, I’m so bored.” Max groaned, her feet up against the wall as she laid the wrong way around on the bed getting an upside-down view of the television. 

“Nothing on?” Connie questioned as she removed her eyes from her phone for just a second, watching the three dots on the screen bounce. Another text from Steven. She felt like a teenager. 

“Nothing worth watching. The first time I get a chance to sit down and watch the TV and it’s terrible! Worthless!” Max sighed as she threw the remote on the bed, flopped out her arms either side of her and stared up at the ceiling.

“Why don’t you just watch Netflix on your phone?” 

“Because then I wouldn’t have anything to complain about!” 

Connie noticed another text coming through, her heart skipping slightly at the message. 

‘Want to hang out for a bit?’

She wasn’t quite sure how to take the message. What did he mean? They were in a motel on the side of a highway with nothing in its vicinity. 

‘Where?’ Connie texted back with confusion. 

‘Outside? I’ll tell the guys I’m smoking.’

‘What do I tell Max?’

It took a little while for Steven to reply before…

‘I think I saw a vending machine. Say you’re getting snacks.’

‘Meet you outside in 5?’

‘Okay x’

Connie took direct note of the kiss at the end of his message. He had been sending them a little more frequently than she had expected him to. As a gesture of goodwill, she tried to send some back. It wasn’t quite her style of texting, but at least she had been trying to make some kind of effort for him. 

“I’m going to grab some snacks. Want anything?” Connie asked as he swung her legs off the bed and went to stand up, butterflies in her stomach over the fact that she would once again be able to spend a short amount of time with Steven.

“Doritos. Every flavour in the machine.”

“Don’t watch anything too interesting without me.” 

“Oh, I’ll be lucky to get anything more interesting than a soap commercial.” Max grumbled, not even bothering to look over to Connie as she slipped on her shoes ready to go out. 

Connie wasn’t quite sure what she could have possibly have done with Steven within the short space of time that she had been given to go and get snacks. Were they just going to say ‘hello’ and then leave each other to their own business? 

Connie had felt so special when he had kissed her for a second time when they were in Austin. Although it was different from the time that they had kissed before, it felt nice. It was a new feeling that Connie hadn’t quite gotten used to and yet there she was with her hand gripped around the handle of the motel room door hoping that when she saw Steven on the opposite side she would have been able to kiss him again. 

She wanted to kiss him again. She wanted to be as close to him as possible. 

That was what had been missing the past couple of days when travelling. It had been Steven. Why was it that whenever they had gotten slightly closer to one another the earth was destined to curse her by forcing her to be away from him for a little while? Did the world know that she...liked him? 

It was an internal conflict that she would have had to have gotten over soon enough. She had to admit in her mind that she was both mentally and physically attracted to him. As soon as she could have admitted that, everything would have been so much better. 

Connie stepped out of the motel room, glancing over to the parking lot below at both the band’s van and Max’s car. As she closed the door she turned to her left and saw Steven on the opposite side of the motel step out of a room. He looked up and smiled at her. 

He was wearing his usual attire of a white t-shirt and a black denim jacket. Steven ran his fingers through his hair and adjusted his jacket as he began to walk along the second floor of the motel, Connie in his sights as they both approached the stairs. 

“After you.” Steven suddenly bowed and gestured towards the stairs. They most certainly weren’t big enough for two people to have gone down at once. A poor design. 

“Fancy seeing you around.” Connie smirked as she watched him bend over with a smile, she stepped past him and made her way down the steps. It took a second for Steven to notice that she had passed, quickly catching up to the step behind her. 

“What brings you out here this fine evening?” Steven made sure to keep exactly one step behind her as they made their way down the stairs. 

“Doritos.”

“Doritos?”

“Well, that’s what Max was after. What are you out here for?” Connie turned and smirked, knowing his answer would have been one of two things. She was somewhat hoping that he wouldn’t have gone with his lie. 

“A girl.” Steven ran his hand against the railing as they both reached the bottom of the stairs. 

Connie turned around and folded her arms, noticing Steven was immediately behind her giving her very little personal space. 

“A  _ girl _ ? I don’t see any around here.” Connie jokingly pushed Steven out of the way slightly to look behind him. Steven chuckled at the game he had suddenly been involved in. 

“Aw, she must have stood me up.” Steven scratched the back of his neck and blushed, the words hitting a little too close to home. Something he had most certainly said in the past without it being a joke. He had been stood-up on plenty of dates before. Maybe too many to have counted on one finger. 

“Why would anyone do that?” Connie’s eyebrows dipped as she shook her head, a little bit upset with the mystery girl and why they would have stood Steven up. He was far too sweet for that. 

“I’m not sure, but it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“How come?”

“Because you’re here instead.” Steven smirked, unable to stop his lips from curling. He held onto either side of his jacket and rocked on his heels. 

Connie stared at him, matching his expression almost instantly. She noticed him biting the inside of his lip as he stared back, just like the previous nights there was an internal desire for them to have gotten closer to one another. A desire that neither of them could hold down for much longer. 

Connie had never been a forward person and yet at that moment, there was a spur of confidence that she had never felt before. She glanced behind her and noticed the vending machine under the stairs, by a few different rooms. It had been a few days of hurtful tension of not being able to see the boy that she was interested in. 

From the constant text messages, they both knew how they each valued the other. Steven was in the same boat as Connie when it came to her being all that he could think about. He desperately wanted to be with her. Thoughts of her kissing him plagued his mind throughout every day. 

Connie reached out and grabbed the front of Steven’s denim jacket, just above where his hands were already holding it. He looked up at Connie with wide eyes as she slowly stepped backwards, pulling Steven along with her. Steven wasn’t quite sure what was happening - but he was loving every second of it. 

He could feel the warmth of her hands just above his, the pressure that her pulling the jacket had on his back and the look of determination as she pulled him along. He was completely locked under whatever spell she had cast on him. 

Connie pulled Steven all the way over to the side of the vending machine, causing him to give her a look of confusion as they stood in the poorly lit and open area where the machine sat. Steven allowed himself to be dragged wherever it was that Connie wanted him. 

“Where are we going?” Steven laughed nervously, ruining the moment ever so slightly as he felt his back gently press against the side of the vending machine.

Connie refused to move her eyes from his. She wanted this. She wanted him. She had never wanted anyone as much as she wanted him at that moment in time. 

Days of awaiting him to be back beside her. Days since they had eaten ice cream and admittedly may have gotten a little too close after being in Austin. The text messages certainly weren’t enough to nurse the craving that she had developed for the man. What were her parents going to say if they ever found out? The trip had been insane - but she was finally learning to love every second. 

Connie was surprisingly the first one to make the move as she leant in for a kiss as if it had become second nature to do so. Steven welcomed the kiss, closing his eyes and moving his hands straight to her waist as he held her close. Connie practically fell into him as she moved her hands to his chest before sliding them to the back of his head, desperate to feel his curls between her fingers. 

Despite having kissed before, none of them had quite matched their current level of intimacy. Their first kiss had been on a fallen tree trunk and Steven had very much insisted on keeping his hands to himself. Their second kiss, although in an aesthetically pleasing location was sweet and soft. 

This time, as Connie pressed into his lips Steven could feel her body against his. She had completely pushed herself against him and he could feel the shape of her body on his. He allowed himself to be wedged between her and the vending machine. 

Steven had very much wanted to believe he had always been the one in control in any kind of sexual situation. That was untrue. Although he had practice and experience in these departments, it wasn’t that often that he got to take control of the situation. He had previously been the one to take control of their kiss, but this time he was willing to see what Connie had in store for him. 

It seemed to have been a little more than he had expected. It had been a little more than Connie had expected too. 

As they continued to further their kiss, Connie made sure to get as close to him as she possibly could. She wanted to be near him and everything inside of her was shouting to inappropriate thoughts that she was shocked at herself for thinking. 

Steven could feel her thighs against his, practically on the cusp of grinding as Connie tugged on his hair, his hands now half an inch lower than they were previously. It hadn’t changed much, but Connie had noticed the touch. It filled her with all kinds of feelings, ones that she hadn’t experienced with anyone before. 

Steven was worried that if they had gone any further or made any more suggestions that perhaps things would have turned out as they always had done in the past. All of the women he had been with in the past always wanted one thing and as soon as they got what they wanted, they didn’t bother even acknowledging Steven’s existence. 

Connie had built an emotional relationship around Steven, one that he had never experienced before. As much as he was incredibly physically attracted to her, he hadn’t even found that to have been the first thing on his mind. Considering all his other so-called relationships started by them sleeping with one another, not having that same straight connection with Connie was...weird? A new experience that he couldn’t quite grasp. 

A part of him was certainly afraid that if he were to pursue anything sexually with Connie, she needed to be the one calling the shots. Neither of them understood what was going on in their heads when it came to the other person - but they were both willing to find out when the time came. 

Steven felt so taken away in that moment, completely swept off his feet as she pushed him against the vending machine, her lips just as soft as he remembered. He had thought about it a lot. He had thought about  _ them _ a lot. 

Connie smiled on his lips as their somewhat frantic kiss came to a slight stop. She wanted to be there all night with him. She wanted to sleep beside him, she could just tell how great he would have been at cuddling. He was a sweetheart and he needed to know.

“How long do you think we have until they come looking for us?” Connie didn’t bother to open her eyes as she breathed softly against his lips, her voice a slight whisper in the dark. 

“Long enough.” Steven purred, his internal desire outgrowing whatever thought in his mind that said he was going to allow Connie to take the lead. 

He knew that she seemed somewhat out of her depth, but all of the signs she had given him were shouting for something a little more personal and Steven was happy to provide. He kissed her lips slowly before brushing her hair over her shoulder, pecking her jawline softly and passionately bringing his lips to the crook of her neck. 

Connie held onto the back of his head as he buried himself in her neck wanting nothing more than to satisfy. She had never been kissed so lovingly in her entire life and the experience was bringing her to a new level of euphoria. She made sure to close her eyes as she felt his soft skin against hers, his hands travelling up her back. 

Connie hadn’t quite expected him to be so intimate, but it wasn’t as if she was going to complain about it. The feeling was one that they were yet to get over. A feeling that they wanted to hold onto forever. She wanted to feel this same way. Again and again. 

“Steven…” How she cooed his name came out unintentionally pornographic causing Connie to gasp slightly, so involved in his touch. She wanted to get his attention, as much as she wanted to spend all night against the vending machine she knew it was something that she couldn't do when Max was patiently awaiting chips. 

Max was near enough as bad as her parents when it came to Connie. It would have been long until she was making her way down the stairs with the kettle from the motel room above her head, ready to attack anyone who may have captured her best friend. 

Steven pulled away, looking at her with wonderment in his eyes. His ego was boosted by the noise that passed from her lips. 

“Are you okay?” Steven questioned, a little bit concerned that he had taken things too far. 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine. Really. I’m just worried we’re going to get caught out here.” Connie sighed, a little disappointed that she had to break them up. Things were going so well and yet Connie’s anxiety had to ruin it all. Why would it have mattered if she had been caught with Steven? Was it embarrassing? 

“Oh right. Yeah.” Steven gave her a sad look to express his disappointment. He would have loved to have spent the rest of the night with her more than anything. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow though, at the show?” 

“Well, me and the band were going to ask if you and Max wanted to come out shopping with us tomorrow.” Steven pulled Connie closer as she balanced her hands on his chest. 

“Shopping? Like...to a grocery store?” Connie snorted, inches away from Steven’s face, still finding herself leaning her entire body against his. 

“No, not really. We were going to go to the mall. We need outfits.” 

“For a show?”

“Nope, for a party we’ve been invited to in L.A. Sour Cream’s dad is a famous music promoter and he’s trying to get as many people as possible to this fancy party in a mansion. We wanted to ask you and Max to come too.” Steven explained, reaching up and brushing a loose strand of hair away from her face so he could get a better look at her eyes. 

“A party? Like...for famous people?” 

“Parties are for everyone! Marty wouldn’t have invited us if it was for famous people. He just wants the party to be huge so he can continue to promote himself.” Steven scoffed with half a smile. 

The party was going to have been huge and that had been the exact plan the whole time. Sour Cream’s deadbeat dad, Marty, was a music promoter for a bigshot record company in California. Nobody in the band quite enjoyed his presence and Marty certainly didn’t have time for an emo band nobody cared about. They wouldn’t have ever been the next best thing, so putting time in promoting them would have been a waste. 

“You want us to go - me and Max?” Connie cocked an eyebrow with slight confusion as to why she was being asked to some fancy L.A. party. Never in a million years would she have expected something like that to have been asked of her. 

“I mean, you don’t have to come. It might be pretty intense. I’ll be there though and...you can always stick with me.” Steven smiled, giving her his reassurance. 

“I’m not exactly a party person.”

“Parties are fun!”

“I usually just stand in the corner.” 

“Well, maybe we could stand in the corner together?” Steven suggested, keeping his hands looped around her. She twirled the curls on the back of his head around her fingers as she continued to rest her arms on his shoulders.

“I’d like that.” Connie quickly kissed his lips. 

A party? Max was going to have freaked out about it and she knew it. There were no two ways about it. Getting to attend a fancy party in L.A. with her favourite band? There was probably going to have been a bunch of famous people there and she knew Max was going to have been excited. 

They had to go. She had no choice. Either way, standing in the corner of the room with Steven and observing what was going on would have been fine. She felt comfortable around him and in a way - protected. It was going to have been a scary experience, but being with Steven would have made things better. She knew Max would have scampered off in seconds to go drinking. 

“Don’t you have to get snacks?” Steven asked with a smug grin, noticing that his speech was delaying Connie more. 

“Yeah, I do. You keep distracting me.”

“Am I?” Steven gave her a look of innocence, only making him far cuter than he was before. Connie wanted him to stop, but the look on his face was adorable. She couldn’t resist his charm. 

Connie rolled her eyes before pulling away from him and standing in front of the vending machine. Steven felt deflated, in a good way. He was incredibly relaxed, feeding off the high he got from Connie and not the drugs that he usually consumed to reach that same level. He placed his hands in the pockets of his black denim jacket before taking a deep breath and smiling, keeping his back against the vending machine as he heard Connie tap numbers in the keypad.

He turned, keeping his head against the machine as he stared over to Connie who was now concentrating on making sure she got the correct snacks that Max had requested. It was hard to concentrate with Steven leant against the machine giving her a flirtatious stare. 

“If I politely asked for a Snickers, how much would it cost me?” Steven kept his head against the side of the machine, not bothering to look for himself as he watched Connie concentrate. 

“Two dollars and sixty-three cents.” 

“Huh. That seems expensive.” 

“We’re in a motel in the middle of nowhere, Steven. These machines are here for our convenience, they’re a corporate scam designed to bleed money from the avid traveller when faced with desperation.” Connie spoke casually as she typed in yet another number into the keypad. She couldn’t continue to be distracted by Steven, she had to get back to Max as soon as possible. 

“So, I’m okay to pay you back for the Snickers?” Steven smirked as he shuffled closer along the side of the vending machine. 

“Yes. You can pay me back for the Snickers.” 

“What kind of payment plans are available?” 

Connie looked over at Steven and tilted her head slightly. If he was struggling  _ that  _ much for money then she would have happily have brought him a chocolate bar. It wasn’t that big of a deal regardless. 

“For two dollars sixty-three?”

“Well, I don’t know,  _ maybe _ ...you’d want your payment in the form of another currency.” Steven raised one of his hands to his mouth and chewed slightly around his thumb as she watched in anticipation. He looked back at her and shrugged. “I heard kisses are the new Bitcoin.” 

Connie sighed, desperately trying to stop herself from smiling at his incredibly silly way of flirting. She shook her head before going back to decide what else she wanted from the machine. She certainly hadn’t been concentrating on snacks. Max probably would have considered Steven a ‘snack’. Connie internally rolled her eyes at the thought. 

Steven watched as Connie bent down and reached into the bottom of the vending machine, pulling out all of the goods that she had brought. She had an armful of different snacks that she knew that her and Max wouldn’t have gotten through in the evening, but would have been happy to keep for the car journey the next day. 

“One Snickers.” Connie handed Steven the chocolate bar, holding the rest of the food in her arms to make sure they didn’t fall. Steven gently took the chocolate from her fingers. 

“How much do I owe you? One kiss? Two?” 

“You really are a dork, aren’t you?” Connie sniggered, finding herself completely smitten with the man. 

“Well, just a bit.” Steven shrugged as he placed the bar of chocolate in his jacket pocket and stepped closer. Connie allowed him to step within her space as he leant forward and planted a small kiss on her lips. 

Connie sorely believed that they would have made out once more, but it didn’t seem as if Steven was prepared to go all the way to that point once more. Perhaps he didn’t want to get caught up and make her late to get back to Max? If that was the case, then that would have been incredibly respectful. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow?” 

“Come shopping with us.” 

“Oh, I’m sure we will. See you tomorrow!” Connie smiled as she kissed him on the cheek and turned around, taking the armful of food with her. Of course, Max and Connie would have joined the band on an eccentric shopping trip. Why wouldn’t they? 

Steven stood by the vending machine and smiled as Connie disappeared up the steps. He touched his cheek where she had just kissed him gently and smiled. He was completely blown away by her. 

Connie smiled the whole way back up the stairs, opening the hotel room door with her elbow to grant her access. It didn’t seem as if Max had moved an inch since she had been gone. 

“Did you go to the store by campus? What took you so long?” Max sat up on the bed and watched as Connie dropped the armful of snacks on the bed beside her. 

“The machine didn’t work.” Connie lied through her teeth, finding it incredibly hard. 

“It doesn’t look like it was broken.”

“Well, it  _ was _ .” 

“Okay, well, were they out of Doritos too?” Max pointed down at the pile of food, expectant of something more than what Connie had provided. 

Connie stared down at the pile of snacks. No Doritos. 

“They were out of stock.” Connie lied once more, she was terrible at it. She had been far too distracted by Steven to even think about what it was that she wanted to get from the machine. She had one job. Doritos. 

“Someone must really like Doritos because there were loads of them earlier.” Max glanced off to the side as she spoke, a little bit perplexed by the lack of Doritos. “I bet it was the band. Greedy bast-”

“Well, you’ll be happy to know we’ve been invited to a party.”

“What kind of party?”

“By the sounds of it, it’s basically in the Playboy Mansion. Well, not exactly - but it’s going to be a rager and it’s in L.A. A famous person's party.” Connie explained, trying to get the subject of the snacks off Max’s mind. 

“Wait, what? A party in L.A.? We don’t know any famous pe-” Max’s eyes lit up. “Did the band invite us to a party? How do you know?” 

“Um, well, when I went outside for snacks Steven was there too. I caught up with him. He was...smoking.” Connie tried her hardest to keep to the lie that they had created. Max smirked up at Connie and laughed. 

“Oh, you just so happened to see Steven? Well, isn’t that  _ interesting _ ?” Max gave Connie a smug expression. 

“Yes. It’s a small motel. The chances of us running into one another are pretty high.” 

“ _ The chances of us running into one another are pretty high. _ ” Max mocked. 

“Do you want me to take those snacks away?” Connie cocked an eyebrow, completely fed up of Max’s shit. 

“Don’t you fucking touch my snacks. I will end you.” Max pointed up towards Connie with an aggressive tone, defending the pile of food that she had accumulated. “Now, tell me more about this party...” 

Connie briefly explained everything she knew about the party as she crawled into bed and texted Steven goodnight. She loved the time that they had spent together and she wanted nothing more than to have spent more time with one another. Steven was starved for the same thing. 

The band members didn’t question Steven’s disappearance like Max. They were much more forgiving when it came to Steven disappearing. On every other tour he usually disappeared somewhere with a girl for a short period, it was quite the common occurrence and they never wanted to question it. 

It was the next day that they had managed to make their way into Scottsdale where they knew they had already decided on going shopping together. The band were excited about the party and so was Max. Connie was nervous but was starting to get used to the idea. 

"If you're going to Los Angeles - you have to look the part." Jenny explained as they all walked together down the crowded street. It was hard for the large group to stick together, but they somehow managed it.

Steven glanced down at his tatty jeans, denim jacket, broken red Vans and t-shirt he had taken from the merch table. 

"Isn't L.A. where the skaters hang? We all look just fine." Steven questioned, not quite understanding why looking the part was such a big thing when travelling. It wasn't as if anyone cared. Well, Steven didn't care - he thought everyone looked good regardless. 

"We're not just skating, if Sour Cream's dad can get us into that party we're going to have the craziest night!" Jenny exclaimed. Although Marty had already set them up to be invited, he was still yet to send the email to grant them access to the property. As per usual, that would have come through at a fashionable time. 

"It's pretty much a given at this point. You two are coming as well - right?" Sour Cream gestured over to Connie and Max who were walking sheepishly behind the band. 

Depending on when and where they still hadn't gotten used to being a huge part of the band. It felt as if there were just too many private jokes that they shared that Max and Connie just didn't understand. However, they weren't into the idea of having anyone left out. If there was a private joke - one of them would usually have explained. They never wanted Max and Connie to feel left out, they were part of the squad until the end of the tour! Hopefully even beyond. 

"Hell yeah! L.A. party? That's a once in a lifetime opportunity." Max nodded, she hadn't quite received verbal communication from Connie herself on whether or not she wanted to go, but that didn't seem to matter. It had gotten to a point where Connie was just going to have to learn to tag along regardless of whether or not she wanted to or not. 

However, Connie was starting to warm up a lot more to everyone in the band - especially Steven. He had shown her just about everything there was to have a good time on tour. They had shared conversations that most people had never heard either of them speak before. They had even kissed...a few times. 

"It's an opportunity alright, Buck and I are going to try and fill our phones with contacts." Sour Cream explained, wanting nothing more than to spend the night attempting to get the names and numbers of as many fancy music producers as possible. 

His dad wouldn't have just given them to him, that was something he had to work for himself. Greg, on the other hand, was happy to share whatever information the band needed to help them succeed. If Steven wanted that information was another question.

"It's business as usual, baby." Buck nodded to them all with a smirk. 

“Steven, get yourself some new Vans. Have you seen those things? They’re so nasty!” Jenny commented as she glanced down at Steven’s beaten up shoes. He hadn’t replaced them in over a year and skateboarding and playing gigs certainly took a toll on both the colour and the fabric that had been chewed up enough you could see his socks. 

“They have character.” Steven groaned, realising that he had spent a whole year trying to get them to look the way that they did. 

“Is  _ that _ what you call it?” Jenny huffed. 

“Hey, I like Steven’s shoes! They  _ do _ have character.” Max butted in, pointing down towards the pair of red Vans that had seen far better days.

“Thank you, Max. Glad to see someone appreciates my style.” Steven folded over his arms and pouted towards Jenny. Jenny rolled her eyes as she quickly glanced over at Steven for a split second - unable to put up with a potential smug grin any longer. 

“‘Appreciates’ is a strong word, dude.” Sour Cream inputted. 

“Respects?”

“Yeah, I respect your shoes.” Max shrugged. She respected Steven as a person too, but she had already gushed over the band far too much to have added that in. 

Jenny turned around and examined everyone’s stylistic choices. None of them had great taste and she knew it. There would have had to have been a few changes that needed to have been made before she allowed them to step foot in an L.A. party. It would have been embarrassing for them otherwise. 

“Woah, what are  _ those _ ?” Jenny pointed down at Connie’s shoes as she walked backwards. 

“Excuse me?” Connie glanced down at her shoes. They were in the style of canvas flats, but they weren’t quite branded like the rest of the band’s shoes. She was pretty certain they cost around fifteen dollars and were in the sale section of her local Walmart. 

“Connie,  _ honey _ , you’re not wearing them to a party - are you?” Jenny furrowed her eyebrows with slight disgust. 

“What’s wrong with them?”

“Look, we can get you some shoes in the same style, but, you’re not wearing them. We’re going to a shoe store. Now.” Jenny insisted, wanting to make sure that her first call of duty was completed. 

Connie exchanged glances with both Max and Steven. Steven shrugged, he didn’t quite see anything wrong with Connie’s shoes and yet Jenny was convinced otherwise. In a way, just like Steven - she could have done with a new pair of shoes. Except, she was willing to change them and Steven wasn’t quite on that same wavelength. 

When they got into the shoe store Jenny immediately beelined for the Vans. It was their staple style and was favoured within the emo community. Great for skating and great for gigs. 

“Checkered Vans. Everyone needs a pair.” Jenny held up the display shoe as she turned to face the rest of the band that was slowly walking towards her as a slight crowd.

“ _ True emo culture _ .” Buck added. 

Steven looked around the store, his eyes suddenly fixating on a pair of low black Converse that sat on the display. A classic design. He picked them up and had a look, he had never been a fan of Converse, not because he didn’t like the designs but they were always pretty narrow when it came to fit. He much preferred the slight width that Vans were able to provide in comparison. 

“How about these?” Steven turned and showed off the shoe, making sure he was showing Connie directly as she stood beside him. 

“They’re...I like them.” Connie smiled as she took the shoe from Steven’s grip and felt the weight. They were like the shoes that she was currently wearing, but branded and they certainly looked a lot comfier. 

“Holy shit!” Max practically shouted as she looked over and Steven and Connie. Connie held onto the shoe tightly as they both turned around to see what all of the fuss was about. 

“What?” Connie questioned, unsure as to why Max was shouting in the store. She hoped they wouldn’t get kicked out. 

“Connie and Steven Universe.” Max pointed to both of them before breathing deeply. “ _ Connverse.” _

“Wait. What? That doesn’t make any sense…” Connie’s eyebrows dipped at the comment. 

“Surely it would be...Stev-onnie?” Jenny suddenly caught onto what was happening. 

“Con-ven?” Sour Cream squinted. 

“What is happening?” Steven laughed nervously, blushing slightly at all of the comments that involved him. 

“Well, it’s Connie Universe blended into one! Connverse. Like the shoe!” Max attempted to make her point heard once more. 

“But that doesn’t make any sense. That’s not how ship names work.” Connie didn’t quite know what to say regarding the situation. 

“Ship names? Are we naming boats?” Steven scratched the back of his neck in utter confusion. He didn’t understand the conversation and a part of him was sure that he didn’t want to know. 

“Can we...drop this?” Connie groaned.

“Okay fine - as long as you try on the Converse. I think they’d suit you.” Max commented with a grin. 

Connie sighed as she stared down at the shoe. Everyone at the shows that she had attended had either been in Doc Martens like Max and Jenny, Vans like Steven, Converse like Buck or tatty Nike SBs like Sour Cream. It seemed to have been part of the culture and as Connie had spent a lot of time subject to it all, it was probably best for her to make sure she was a solid part of the crew. 

“I think they’d suit you too.” Steven added with a smile as he stood close by, still a little bit confused by the previous conversation. How did shoes have anything to do with him and Connie? Why were they speaking about ships? Steven knew it was best to just be quiet. 

“Yeah, Connie. They’ll look bomb.” Buck pointed down to his pair of high topped Converse. They had seen better days, he was probably due a new pair too. 

Everyone else in the group nodded in agreement, excited for Connie to have tried on the shoes. She would have truly been a part of the culture with branded sneakers. The perfect pair of shoes for hanging out with the band day in and day out.

“Fine. I’ll try them on in a size eight.” Connie smirked, finally giving into them all as everyone let out a small cheer. Max took the shoe from Connie’s hand and winked, ready to go and see the sales assistant to ask for the size. 

After trying them on, receiving loud compliments from the band, apologising profusely to the sales assistant for their behaviour and then deciding black and white was a suitable and classic colourway for the shoes - Connie made her purchase. They were a perfect fit. 

As much as everyone tried to convince Steven to buy a new pair of Vans, he was happy enough with the ones that he had. Not only that, but he certainly couldn’t have afforded to fork out ninety dollars on a new pair of sneakers. 

“It’s missing something...” Max scratched her chin as the band practically piled onto one another, sitting on a low cushioned seat just outside of the changing rooms. 

“Like what? A tie?” Steven cocked an eyebrow as he opened up his arms and showed off the short-sleeved pink shirt that fitted him perfectly. 

“Yikes. No ties.” Jenny shook her head, sat beside Max as they tilted their heads in unison to get a better look at Steven’s outfit that he was planning on wearing to the party. 

“I think it looks fine as it is. Right?” Steven spun around so everyone could get a better look at the shirt as he glanced at himself in the mirror, suddenly becoming a little self-conscious. It wasn’t that much different from the pink flannel that everyone was so used to seeing him in. It was simply a plain pink shirt. 

Connie desperately wanted to shout about how much she agreed with him. He looked fantastic, handsome,  _ hot _ even. The shirt suited him, especially with his black ripped jeans and red sneakers. He had kept the top button of the shirt undone. 

“I know! Put your jacket back on.” Max insisted before pouting her lips and tapping her finger against them. 

Steven gave a look of confusion to each of them before turning on his heel, shrugging and heading back into the changing room to grab his jacket. 

“I’m just going to button up this shirt.  _ Recycling _ .” Buck snorted to Sour Cream, referring to the usual red shirt that he wore undone over his t-shirt. He hoped that nobody had heard him until-

“Nuh-uh, Bucky-D - you’re next!” Jenny shook her head as Buck breathed deeply at her comment, Sour Cream nudging him with a chuckle. 

“How about Sour Cream?” Buck questioned, wanting nothing more than to bring his friend into the mix. 

“Hey, aren’t you boys hoping to make connections at that party? You can’t just roll up in...that!” Jenny gave them a look of disgust, staring at their current outfits. They still sat incredibly close to one another on the seats. 

“Rolling is cool. We can do that. Right, Buck?” Sour Cream shrugged. 

“Yeah, man. We’re not squares. We’re circles. We  _ roll _ .” Buck scoffed as Steven stepped back out of the changing room, this time with his jacket thrown over the top of the new shirt. 

Steven once again did a little twirl in the outfit to show it off. He looked over at Connie for approval who was sitting with her arms folded. She gave him a small smile and nodded towards him. He looked great and he knew it. 

“It’s perfect!” Max squealed.

“Looking good, Universe.” Jenny clapped. 

“Yeah, I like this!” Steven pulled on his jacket, staring at himself in the mirror and smiling. He felt confident. He felt handsome and most of all - Connie found him attractive in the outfit. 

It was a couple of hours later that Connie had found herself walking out of the shopping mall with a couple of bags that contained a brand new outfit that she would have been able to wear to the party in L.A. It wasn’t traditional party-wear, but it was certainly different to her usual attire and that was all the band seemed to care about. It was all about being somewhat presentable, but also casual enough to have done just about anything and everything in. 

Everyone had found something that they wanted to wear, even if some of the choices were begrudgingly made. Each of them knew that they would have all looked fantastic together when they attended the party. It was certainly going to be a party of a lifetime - Sour Cream had received the texted invite when they were in the mall. 

It was time for them to play a show in Scottsdale and after a whole day of shopping, they were more than ready to find somewhere to stay straight after. They were going to have been spending the next couple of days in California and they were excited to do so. 

They called it the City of Angels. 

Los Angeles was their next stop. 


	11. Los Angeles, CA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven and Connie find themselves at a party in the hills, little do they know what exploring a mansion will entail...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come down to L.A. 
> 
> Thank you everyone for all your support. I love you.

Everyone was excited for the show in Los Angeles - even Connie. It wasn't just about playing a show in L.A., it was everything that surrounded it. From the lights to the people, L.A. was far different from anywhere that they had visited on their trip so far. It was going to have been an insane couple of days. 

Max was mesmerised by nearly everything that they came into contact within the city. In fact, it was more or less whatever they came in contact with within the state of California. They were all excited and it was hard for them to show otherwise. 

Not only that, but after being in California they had a whole two days to relax before heading over to Denver for the next show. That meant that spending a prolonged amount of time in California was acceptable. There was so much they wanted to see and do! 

Greg had helped book the trip perfectly, knowing that the band would have enjoyed a few nights off in L.A. If not, spending the time in the surrounding areas would have been nice too. As much as Steven wasn't super into the idea of a party lifestyle - he was still excited. 

The previous day when Sour Cream's dad had mentioned the party in L.A., nobody had thought much of it other than a chance to make connections and get drunk. Although, as the day went on they started to realise that the party wasn't quite one with snacks and soda. It was more the kind of party that consisted of strippers and drugs. 

The show that they had played that night in L.A. had been great. The energy that came from the crowd was outstanding and the band immediately fed off it like a drug. It helped them stay focused when all they could truly think about was attending a big shot L.A. party after the show. They couldn’t wait. 

Of course, with Max and Connie making their way into the band as if they were permanent members, they had been invited to the party as well. If Marty's misogynistic text messages to Sour Cream were anything to go by, they were most certainly allowed to bring them. 

Max was convinced that getting drunk before the party was the best option. This meant that she spent the entire show necking as many drinks as possible. So much that she was drunk enough to barely remember a thing and sober enough to still have the ability to walk. Connie wasn't quite impressed with her drunken behaviour but had spent most of the show stood at the side of the stage watching the band play. 

Watching Steven play. 

He had occasionally looked back after songs and smiled at her as she waved. He felt incredibly supported, knowing that she was there beside him through every show on the tour. Steven couldn't help but feel as if he was suddenly playing much better with her in the building. She had given him confidence that he couldn't quite comprehend. 

Max spent a lot of the time being thrown around in the mosh pit and although Connie still wasn't quite confident enough to join her, she enjoyed having the advantage of being up on the side of the stage and having the ability to be able to see her if she got caught up in a mess. Not that Connie would have been able to save her - but it was the thought that counted. 

It was around midnight by the time that the band had gotten out of the venue and headed back to the hotel rooms that they had put themselves into for the next two nights to get the most out of their L.A. experience. They had been saving up a good amount of cash and splashing it on a nice hotel for once during the tour wouldn't have been a bad thing, especially since they had spent the majority of the other dates sleeping on someone's floor. Surprisingly, for this one pursuit, Steven had allowed Greg to help with the cost. L.A. was the halfway point of the tour and he wanted them to enjoy it. A reward for getting as far with the tour as they had done. 

Buck and Sour Cream had a room together. Jenny had a room with Steven. Max and Connie had opted to share a room too, choosing to book a room in the same hotel as the band.

Max consistently begged for Connie to switch with Jenny. It was the only way that everyone would have been happy. Well, it would have made Max happy and admittedly...it would have made Connie happy too. She was beginning to get more and more comfortable with Steven and spending more time with him would have been amazing.

The issue was that sharing a room seemed rather forward. Especially straight off the bat. Circumstances meant that something like that didn't have to occur if they could help it and suggesting it straight away wouldn't have been sensible. It would have been  _ too _ suggestive and awkward for them both. 

They made sure they were each ready to go to the party before heading out. It wasn’t as if there was any kind of dress code that had been issued and after their shopping trip in Scottsdale, they had managed to get everything that they needed to fit in. 

Steven had switched out his usual t-shirt for his new pink shirt and threw his black denim jacket over the top. He continued to wear his ripped jeans and beaten up skate shoes. There was only so far he could go with making an effort to look somewhat presentable - everyone would have been too drunk to notice anyway. It wouldn’t have mattered. 

Connie had opted for something new too, despite already having a lot of clothes with her on her travels. She decided to go for the outfit that she had purchased in Scottsdale, a pair of high waisted skinny jeans that fitted her figure perfectly and a black button-up strapped top that had a neat knot tied at the front of it. 

Connie hadn't quite made this much of an effort when it came to dressing up throughout the whole tour, but if she was going to a party then she wanted to look nice. She had been unconvinced by the outfit at first, but Max's persistent compliments back in the hotel room had made her feel good about what she was wearing. 

Although he was a reserved man and had nothing but respect for the people around him if Connie knew how much effort it took Steven not to look at her in the outfit then she would have been provided with copious amounts of unsung confidence. How could he have ignored the fitted jeans and the vast amount of exposed skin above her chest? 

She was gorgeous. 

Connie sat in the back of the large Toober between Max and Steven. It was hard to concentrate on anything when the back of the car was completely drenched in the smell of Steven’s overpowering aftershave. 

The car was small and Connie’s leg was pressed tightly against Steven’s the whole journey. It had been an incredible week or so and Connie was still concerned whether or not she liked Steven’s company for the fact that he was new and or if there was truly something there. She was convinced it was the latter. 

“They call this place ‘ _ The City of Angels _ ’.” Buck whispered through his teeth as he stared out of the window, the lights of the city skyline passing them by and reflecting off his sunglasses. 

“That’s kind of sweet.” Jenny commented. 

“Why do they call it that?” Steven asked, a little bit out of the loop when it came to everyday trivia. 

“Los Angeles. It’s ‘ _ The Angels _ ’ in Spanish.” Connie shared her useless fact with the rest of the car. 

“Well, if we do see any angels I’ll be sure to say  _ halo _ .” Max snorted with drunk laughter at her pun, Steven and Connie found humour in the joke as everyone else groaned. 

“So, what’s everyone’s plan for this party?” Steven questioned, wanting to know how everyone would survive the night. He knew that it would have been completely different from any other kind of party they may have attended in the past. 

“Buck and I are going to try and see how many big-shot music producers we can speak to.” Sour Cream leant back in his seat.

“It’s about _ who _ you know - not  _ what _ you know.” Buck nodded, confirming their plan. For them, it wasn’t about getting drunk and having fun. Well, at least not the  _ whole _ night. 

“You girls coming with me to get hella tipsy?” Jenny asked as she glanced towards both Max and Connie. 

“Are you sure she should be drinking anymore?” Connie gestured towards Max who was regretfully staring out of the window. She had to look away - if she continued to look out of the window she was going to have made herself sick. 

“I’m fine. Fine. Absolutely. I got you, girl. We’re going to have so much fun!” Max pointed her finger towards Jenny with a tipsy wink that followed. Jenny wasn’t quite sure how to respond, simply giving her a thumbs up. 

“Hey Steven, what’s the S-plan, man?” Sour Cream countered, wanting to know what it was that Steven had planned for his night. 

Steven placed his arm on the edge of the window and glanced out at the city passing them before catching Connie out of the corner of his eye. It didn’t seem as if Connie was too bothered about going to the party, but he couldn’t have been quite sure. It was certainly going to be an interesting night - especially if they got to spend it together when everyone else was off doing their own thing. 

“I have no idea.” Steven shrugged, internally planning that all he wanted to do with his night was sit and speak to Connie about anything and everything. They had agreed on hanging out in the corner, right?

“Connie?” Sour Cream tilted his head.

“I’ll probably just latch onto one of you. I’m not big on parties.” Connie smiled nervously.

“She’s lying. This girl is a  _ riot _ at parties!” Max aggressively poked Connie’s shoulder. 

“I usually just lean against a wall and avoid everyone - I wouldn’t exactly class that as being ‘a riot’.” Connie chuckled, noticing Steven turning his head to smile at her. 

“Y’know, that sounds like a pretty fun way to spend your time at a party.” Steven cocked an eyebrow, suddenly putting on an act as if they hadn’t already decided they would be spending the evening in the corner of a room together avoiding everyone. 

“Steven’s either the type of guy at a party to be the centre of attention or he doesn’t interact at all. There’s no in-between.” Jenny sniggered as she pointed over at Steven. 

“I’m voting on the latter tonight.” Steven pointed back. He had already spent a few hours being the centre of attention on stage, he didn’t need any more attention than he already had.

A big-shot music producer party? He truly hoped that nobody who used to know his parents even caught on to who he was. That would have made things awkward and would have made him incredibly uncomfortable. Unfortunately, that was just the price he had to pay for his mother being an incredibly famous pop singer. 

Everyone had heard of her. 

Connie was secretly hoping that Steven would have kept his word about spending the time at the party with her. It didn’t seem like much, but otherwise, she would have been on her own and she was pretty terrified. She was twenty-one in the middle of Los Angeles, hundreds of miles away from home with her drunk best friend more than likely ready to run off in a heartbeat. She didn’t want to be completely alone and Steven was the next best thing. 

Besides, being with Steven wasn’t exactly a bad thing. 

The band had never been anywhere quite so flash before, so when pulling up in a car outside of the mansion after their show was a completely new experience to them all. The car dropped them off straight outside of the large pearly gates where they could instantly hear the drumming of loud music coming from up the driveway to the overly large house. 

Loud music was something that they were pretty used to, but this wasn’t quite the noise of a live band. Instead, it was an aesthetic hum of drum and bass that came from what seemed to be the busiest party in L.A. 

Sour Cream took the lead, stepping over to the security guard and showing him something on his phone before pointing back to the rest of his party. The guard didn’t say anything as he pressed his finger against a button and granted them all access to the mansion. 

Steven whispered ‘thanks’ as he passed the guard as if he was unable to pass without doing so. Nobody in the group picked up on his politeness as they walked up to the large house. 

As they stepped closer they all started to realise what kind of party they had been invited to. The house was incredible. A house within the hills, large enough to be home to what could have been a couple of hundred people with ease. Leading up to the house there was a vast amount of outdoor decoration, including, but not limited to sculpted fountains splashing water into beautifully lit ponds. 

Buck’s lips mouthed the word ‘wow’ as they walked, unable to quite comprehend the sheer scale of the building that they were approaching. Going from playing at a music venue that had a problem with rats in their parking lot to being at the huge party was quite the contrast. 

They were a shitty emo band. There was no way that they should have been allowed access to such a large party. 

As the band walked into the building they suddenly realised what it was that they had found themselves caught up in. A huge party. One that consisted of everything they saw as soon as they stepped inside. 

It ranged from alcohol being tipped into people’s mouths, all kinds of drugs being consumed, loud music, flashing lights, shouting, people with little to no clothes on and even someone emptying the contents of their stomach into what was once considered a houseplant. It was absolute chaos. 

“Woah...” Buck tipped his sunglasses downwards to get a better look of the sights in front of him. It wasn’t dark inside the room, but the ceiling was so tall that the lights sat above them high enough to make the room somewhat dim. 

Max, Connie and the band stood in the doorway with their mouths slightly ajar. 

“This looks fuckin’ sick!” Max suddenly shouted as she gestured for them all to step inside of the party. 

“Max  _ has _ got a point.” Jenny lifted her shoulders as she looked back at the rest of the group. 

"It's time to  _ contribute to the chaos _ , boys." Max grinned. 

Buck and Sour Cream glanced at each other before following the direction of a simple shrug. Sure, the party was crazy - but it was going to be the  _ good _ kind of crazy. One that they would have remembered for years to come. 

Steven looked at Connie as she stared back with a worried expression. He noticed her anxiety and almost instantly held his hand out, his palm facing her. Connie glanced down at his open palm, unsure of what he was suggesting before quickly realising the comfort he was attempting to provide. 

As much as Steven was worried about the band commenting on his gesture, he didn’t quite believe that any of them would have noticed amongst the mayhem that the room was already providing. Steven holding hands with Connie was nothing in comparison to the man in the middle of the room attempting front flip off a glass table. 

Connie lifted her hand to meet his, their fingers gently interlocking. 

Suddenly, Connie didn’t feel quite so alone in the large house full of strangers that she didn’t ever want to have the pleasure of meeting. With her hand tangled with Steven’s, she felt a connection that couldn’t have been matched. A feeling of safety. No matter what happened he would have been there for her. It felt nice. 

“So, we’re going to speak to all the people in suits. Meet you guys back at the hotel tomorrow morning?” Sour Cream came up with the plan as he referred to himself and Buck. 

“I don’t know if I can handle this cute one all on my own.” Jenny joked as she threw her arm around Max and scruffed the top of her uncontrollably frizzy head of hair. 

“No, you!” Max laughed, pushing Jenny off her with a slight giggle. 

“Just...don’t get hurt.” Connie touched Max’s shoulder with her free hand, causing her to stop in her excitement. Max turned around and smiled. 

“Me? Hurt? Never! Pain and parties are  _ punk _ !” Max snorted, not even bothering to notice Steven and Connie’s obvious hand-holding that if she were sober would have certainly picked up on. 

"Getting hurt isn't punk."

"Yes, it is." Max argued. 

"Well - don't."

"It's fine, _Air Con_. I got this. I am skilled in the  _ arty of the party _ ." 

“Be careful.” Connie reiterated. 

“Yes,  _ Mom _ .” Max smirked as Connie smiled back, happy to hear how much she cared. 

Connie watched as Jenny grabbed hold of Max’s jacket and dragged her away into what seemed to be the craziest night that either of them would have ever experienced. Connie wasn’t quite sure what everyone was going to get up to that night, but all she knew was she wanted to spend her time with Steven. With everyone leaving it left them paired off once again. 

As soon as Buck and Sour Cream walked in the opposite direction to find new connections within the industry, Steven and Connie found themselves standing by the door with nothing to do other than to stare into the dark abyss that was the party surrounding them. Connie felt Steven’s thumb rub gently against the top of her hand. 

Connie felt pretty uncomfortable in the room and so did Steven. There wasn’t very much that they could have done at the party with one another other than finding somewhere they could go to hang out. 

“Want to find out if there’s anywhere we can get a drink?” Steven leant towards Connie as he spoke, speaking over the loud music that was dominating his eardrums. His ears were still ringing from the show he had just performed. 

“You’d drink something from  _ here _ ?” Connie questioned as she glanced at Steven with confusion in her expression. 

“Well, it would  _ have _ to be sealed.” Steven grinned. Of course she was worried about her drink getting spiked - it was a genuine concern. 

“That’s sensible.” Connie nodded, firmly agreeing with Steven’s sentiment. 

Steven led Connie through the party, refusing to let go of her hand as they walked. The party was incredibly busy, although it wasn’t quite as compact as one of Steven’s shows - the feel of the party certainly reminded Connie of a much rowdier venue. 

The mansion was incredibly poorly decorated, most of their walls and flooring were plain white. Connie always wondered why rich people were so boring with their interior design. Paying someone thousands of dollars to decorate their homes and yet the only thing they ever seemed to come up with was marble flooring and plain walls. It was obscene. 

Surprisingly, this hadn’t been the first time that Steven had been inside of a mansion. Perhaps not one this exact size, but growing up around the people who had earned millions from platinum records meant that his time as a kid was mostly spent exploring expensive mansions. Most of the time everywhere was closed off as to not enter anywhere that he wasn’t supposed to. 

That didn’t quite seem the case with this mansion. Everything was a free-for-all. Nowhere was closed off to the public and anyone could have gotten into one of the many places within the household. It felt as if there was no way that someone could have possibly lived in the mansion, simply using the building for extravagant parties. It wouldn’t have surprised Steven one bit if that was the case. 

Steven wasn’t sure where he was taking Connie. It wasn’t as if he had ever been inside of the house before. Connie looked around her as they walked, taking note of the different activities that were happening around them. They ranged from people drinking heavily to what even looked like someone scratching their name into a table with a penknife. It was insanity and after every sight, Connie only held onto Steven’s hand tighter. 

Steven suddenly noticed they were in an overcrowded kitchen, positioned in the corner was a large icebox with what seemed like hundreds of bottles of all different kinds of beer. It probably wasn’t the only location in the mansion that had a vast amount of booze, but it was one of them. 

“Do you still want to be a part of the sober squad?” Steven asked as he turned back to Connie and squeezed her hand as he spoke. Connie hadn’t drank alcohol once through the tour, but Steven felt rude not to have offered. He needed to have a drink if he was going to have made it through the night at the hellscape of the party. 

“This party is making me feel otherwise.” 

“You want to drink?”

“Well, I do sometimes in college. It’s not a lot, but-” Connie admitted. Sure, she had drank in the past, but it wasn’t as if it had been copious amounts like Max consumed. Perhaps getting a little tipsy with Steven wouldn’t have been such a bad thing? It would have been good to not have to remember the sights that she had already seen at the party. 

“I’m just offering. I don’t want to-” 

“Maybe we could share one? I don’t want to get  _ drunk _ .” Connie shrugged, a little bit nervous about her suggestion. 

“I can do that.” Steven nodded, more than able to accommodate her request. 

They stepped closer to the icebox when suddenly Steven spotted what seemed to be a bottle of wine just lying there, ready to be taken. It looked incredibly fancy for what it was.

“How about a big bottle? Do you like wine?” Steven smirked as he picked up the green bottle that was covered in a fancy label - the bottle itself probably cost more than what Steven currently had in his bank account. Connie didn’t allow him to let go of her hand as he picked up the bottle by the neck and showed it to her. 

Connie had wine with meals before, but never as a way of getting her drunk. Although wine was the one alcoholic beverage Connie felt as if she could stomach slightly better than any kind of beer or spirit. If she wanted to get slightly tipsy with Steven, this was probably the best way to do it. 

“I wouldn’t exactly say I’m a  _ fan _ .” 

“Oh,  _ groupie _ then?” Steven snorted at the recurring joke that had been mentioned several times since the start of the tour. Connie’s face immediately dropped at the comment.

“Steven…” Connie groaned, unable to stop herself from smiling. 

Steven didn’t hesitate to use the corkscrew that was attached to the large icebox to open up the bottle, the pop creating what seemed to be a Mexican wave of ‘whoo’s!’. Steven and Connie both chuckled at one another as he took a quick sniff of the top of the bottle before gesturing for Connie to do the same. She pouted her bottom lip before nodding. It wasn’t as if she would have been able to tell a good wine from a bad one. 

Grapes were grapes. 

“So, should we explore this huge house together?” Steven asked before taking a quick sip of the large bottle. The wine was unlike anything he had ever tasted before. Perhaps it was the case that you truly did have to spend more on alcohol to make it somewhat bearable. 

He passed the bottle over to Connie who took a little sip of the beverage and decided that she did enjoy wine. It wasn’t bad at all. 

“I’m not going to explicitly say  _ no _ , just know that if we get caught I’m blaming you.” Connie shrugged slightly, feeling somewhat bad about invading the privacy of the mansion. However, with someone who was this rich, they were just looking for people to look at all their possessions. 

“Cool, I'm okay with that.” Steven smiled, continuing to hold both her hand and the bottle of wine that she had passed back to him without hesitation. 

As much as Connie didn’t mind consuming the alcohol, she knew that her tolerance was pretty low. She didn’t drink very much and could get drunk pretty quickly without realising. It had only happened a few times at parties in the past. Max had attempted to get her to drink several times when she was at the music venues, but it wasn’t as if she was going to break out of her habits. A plastic cup filled with tap water was all she needed. 

Max would have been mightily upset at the fact Steven was the one who could get her to drink when she couldn’t. 

When it came to alcohol, Steven, on the other hand, could more or less drink like a fish before breaking through to his tolerance of getting drunk. Getting high was a much more pleasurable experience and valued it greatly over anything that alcohol could have done to his body. 

Steven opened a door that led off from the kitchen that they were just in. He was half expecting it to lead into nothing, but instead, it was what seemed to be an empty corridor. The fact that the corridor was empty only meant good things to them both - finally they could have been alone from the humdrum of the rest of the party. 

“Well, this is peaceful.” Steven commented as they walked through the dimly lit corridor, the marble flooring suddenly changing to a spongy cream carpet that they stepped across. Steven consciously attempted not to spill the wine, knowing just how much of a pain it would have been to get out of the carpet. 

“Quite the contrast.” Connie sniggered as Steven passed the bottle back over to her to hold, he didn’t want to be in complete control of the alcohol else he certainly would have drank far too much. They were supposed to be sharing. 

Steven had never seen Connie consume alcohol before. It had been a big deal when they had first met and it was strange for her to have been so casually inclined to have taken the bottle from him and taken a sip. She was comfortable enough in his presence to let her guard down. He had noticed the behaviours she had when they were together in comparison to when they were with others. She had always been rather shy around the band, he stuck that down to how they had first treated her when they met. 

They walked slowly, noticing different doors leading to all kinds of new adventures. In a way, the corridor felt like a hotel. They weren’t quite sure what each of the doors led to, but the building was large enough to want to question every one of them. At the end of the corridor, they found themselves walking up some empty steps onto another floor - there wasn’t anywhere else for them to go. 

Connie felt a little bit of anxiety about snooping around in someone else’s home, in a way, Steven did too. It was a little too intrusive for the likes of them both. However, they were both incredibly intrigued by what the mansion would hold. 

“You’re pretty good at navigating this huge place. Does your lavish rockstar lifestyle give you frequent access to mansions?” Connie questioned as they walked up the steps together. 

“No, not really. I mean - my mom’s old bandmates have pretty big houses. I don’t see them anymore, but I was around them a lot as a kid. Money changes people. I didn’t exactly know them when they didn’t have money, but I’d only assume it was better. My dad tells me a lot of stories...” Steven half-smiled as he walked alongside Connie, continuing to hold onto her hand. Connie was the first person in a long time he trusted enough to open himself up about all of the things that had happened within his life. He was incredibly grateful for her listening. 

“Were you close to them? Your Mom’s bandmates, I mean…” Connie questioned, unsure if she was overstepping any boundaries by asking. 

“For a while. One of them is super against the whole emo band idea, the other two are pretty supportive. I don’t really like them to be involved - we’re all kind of different.” 

“That’s not always a bad thing.” 

“Yeah, but it feels bad. This is something I want to do on my own. Music is such a large part of my life I couldn’t imagine doing anything that didn’t involve it. I don’t even think I’m capable of anything else.” Steven laughed, Connie found herself incredibly invested in his conversation.

“That’s not true. You could do anything if you put your mind to it.” 

“I was raised on a tour bus, Connie. It’s all I know.” Steven snorted, Connie suddenly feeling incredibly privileged for her lifestyle. Sure, Steven had been raised around money - but that didn’t mean that was a life that he had chosen. 

“That doesn’t mean that you can’t amount to anything.” Connie furrowed her eyebrows as they walked. Steven reached over to grab the wine, taking a few long swigs of the bottle. Connie watched him out the corner of her eye, not wanting to stare at him completely in his attempt to get a little drunk. 

“Hey, I wonder what that room is for!” Steven was quick to change the conversation as he pointed up towards a room at the end of the corridor with a red light sat on top of it. Connie noticed his attempt to change the topic and quickly noted his diverted attention. 

It was a topic he didn’t want to discuss further and Connie respected that. 

“A fallout shelter?” Connie laughed as Steven quickened his pace towards the room with the unlit red light. 

“Oh no, it’s going to be much better!” Steven pulled Connie along to the entrance of the room.

“Two fallout shelters?” Connie sniggered, realising that her joke had been wasted on Steven who was completely distracted by the red light on the top of the door. 

Steven let go of Connie’s hand for the first time since they had gotten there before passing her the bottle, he was incredibly excited to see the room. He immediately leapt towards the door, tugging down on the handle and sighing miserably. 

“It’s locked.” He pouted before making his way into a room opposite, this one was open and as soon as he stepped through he was granted access to one of the best sights he had seen in a while. 

Connie watched as Steven audibly gasped as he entered the room, Connie followed close behind now using both hands to grip onto the wine. As they walked into the room they were both greeted with a sight that was to behold, even Connie was mesmerised by the contents. 

Inside was a vast collection of instruments, ranging from a large white grand piano to different styles of guitars hanging up on the walls. There was even a collection of tambourines and other types of percussion. The sight was beautiful and Steven had never been in the presence of such state of the art pieces of equipment, the instruments ranged from classics to modern-day wonders. Steven had spent a lot of money on his guitar - but nothing could compare to the amount he imagined was spent on lining the room with the instruments. 

“This guy sure does like guitars.” Connie shut the door behind them both as Steven’s wide eyes reminded her of a kid in a candy shop. She hadn’t quite seen him so excited before. 

Connie took a quick sip of the wine, suddenly grimacing at the taste. 

“I like guitars too!” Steven commented as he paced up and down the red wall with the guitars hanging up - each one lit up by an individual spotlight. 

“ _ Really _ ?” Connie sarcastically commented on his dorky remark. 

“Do you know how expensive these are?” 

“We’re in a rich person’s house - everything is expensive.” Connie laughed, unable to contain herself over Steven’s excitement. 

“I know, but...I really want to play one.” Steven stared up at the guitar in wonderment, his eyes practically in the shape of stars as he got the deep desire to play the instruments. His actions were childlike and Connie couldn’t help herself but laugh. 

He didn’t quite look like the frontman of an emo band, instead, a grown man expressing his passion for something he loved. If music was truly everything he had - Connie knew how much it would have meant to him to get an opportunity to play one. 

“Do it. I won’t look.” Connie smiled, tucking the bottle by her arm and covering her eyes. 

Steven glanced over, noticing that she had covered her eyes in an attempt to make him feel better about wanting to play one of the expensive guitars. Sure, he felt slightly intrusive, but also -  _ guitars! _

“Are you sure you won’t tell anyone?” Steven smirked, realising that she couldn’t see the flirtatious face he was pulling. 

“I won’t tell a soul.” Connie used one hand to cover her eyes and the other to press her finger against her lips, whispering softly. 

Despite her not being able to see his expression, he smiled before choosing which one of the guitars he wanted to treat himself to playing. The guitar he chose was a beautiful Martin model, it was similar to the one that his dad used to play - just Steven knew that it was a lot more expensive. Steven held the guitar to his chest and took a deep breath.

He pushed his thumbs down the strings to make sure everything was perfectly in tune. Just like a dream - it was. 

Connie was immediately hit with his musical talent as he began to pluck so perfectly away at the strings. Unlike the harsh yet dreamy sound of the Telecaster he played on stage, the acoustic Martin reverberated with fluid melodic tones. Each pluck and strum provided Connie with shivers that ran down her spine. 

The guitar sounded beautiful and the person playing it was beyond talented. Connie couldn’t quite believe how well he played the acoustic guitar after spending the whole week hearing him slamming his pick against the strings of the Fender. It sounded so clean without the beautiful tones being dampened by the pedals that he used in his music. 

Steven began to hum along to the song that he had found himself entranced by. Connie wanted to melt at the sound of his angelic voice as if even his hums had been perfectly kept in tune with the guitar.

“ _ I’ve got nothing left, stolen words in my every breath. I’m teetering on the ledge and I'm about to fade away... _ ” Steven sang softly as if he was completely caught up in the moment with not a single care in the world. He was so used to playing in front of people that even just singing to Connie in the small room wasn’t as daunting as it should have been. 

Connie expected the song to go on for longer, closing her eyes behind her hands and listening to him sing was beautiful. His voice was heavenly and she suddenly wondered as to why he spent so much time shouting into a microphone when he had a voice like that. Connie listened as she heard the body of the acoustic guitar slide away from his torso as it ran against his shirt and the buttons on his denim jacket. 

“That was a new song I’ve been working on. It’s a little different, huh?” Steven chuckled slightly as he placed the guitar back up in its original position. He didn’t want the owner to know that he had overstayed his welcome when it came to playing the instrument. 

Connie slowly removed her hands from over her eyes and looked towards Steven with a smile spread across her face. 

“Your voice…” Connie couldn’t believe it. 

“Shouting is a lot more fun.” Steven shrugged, knowing exactly what it was that Connie was going to comment on. 

Steven watched as Connie took another sip of the wine, it seemed as if she was getting a little too used to the bottle. After seeing Connie being so against most things such as getting high and drinking, it came as a shock to Steven to see her so happily accept the beverage. 

He smiled before making his way over to the grand piano, he debated whether or not he should have played depending on the noise levels it produced. It was likely that it would have alerted people that they were currently messing around in their instrument room. Steven looked around and noticed the sound absorption stuck to the red walls that would have hopefully captured the vast majority of the sound. Regardless, they probably wouldn't have been able to hear much with the music blasting downstairs. 

It didn’t matter. Steven  _ really _ wanted to play the piano. He was going to play the piano. 

He stepped over to the stool and took his seat before shuffling over and tapping it gently, gesturing for Connie to join him. Connie hesitated for a moment before swallowing her anxiety and making her way over to sit with Steven. 

“You know how to play the piano too?” Connie snorted, completely blown away by his talent. 

“I also know the triangle.” Steven smirked as he stretched out his hands as his fingers found the keys. 

“Impressive.” 

“My mom taught me a lot of the piano when I was younger. My dad knows how to play too, so when she...passed, he continued to teach me. We had one like this in our old house, except it was black. Dad switched it out for an electric keyboard when we moved into the van.” Steven spoke so casually as he spoke about his history.

Connie watched as Steven’s fingers slowly pressed against each of the keys in such a pattern to create a divine sound. Connie couldn’t quite comprehend the talent that the young man held. Frankly, it was incredibly attractive and she suddenly understood why so many girls found themselves trying to get with guys in bands. It all made sense. 

The way his fingers moved was mesmerising. Connie didn’t quite know how his brain could have possibly kept up with the succession of keys each of his fingers was playing in a different order. He had such a brilliant skill set and she couldn’t help but stare intensely at his fingers as he played the beautiful piece of music. She was unsure if it was an original song or not, but regardless - it was gorgeous. 

Steven knew that he was showing off, but at that very moment, it didn’t matter. He wanted to play the instruments and Connie just so happened to be there too. Admittedly, it was also somewhat a flirting technique that he didn’t quite want to admit to. 

As they sat on the stool together, Connie could feel the warmth of his body beside her. It wasn’t as if the stool was very large. Sure, it could have easily have fitted two people - but that didn’t mean that it wasn’t going to be a tight squeeze. 

“Do you want a go?” Steven questioned as he allowed his fingers to slide down the keys, stopping the elegant music from playing as the piano hummed. 

“I mean...I have no idea how to play.” 

“That doesn’t matter. Just press a bunch of keys. Run your fingers down it - it makes a cool noise!” Steven instructed as he reached over and took the wine bottle. It was his turn to drink. 

The bottle seemed a lot lighter from when he had last held it, internally questioning how much of the wine Connie had truly consumed. 

Steven watched as Connie tapped a single finger against the keys making it ring out loudly. Steven nodded as he took a sip, Connie suddenly running her fingers over the keys.

“Okay, that is fun!” Connie laughed as she did it once again. Steven copied her actions, running his fingers in the opposite direction to meet her in the middle. 

Steven accidentally found his hand brushing against Connie’s as they chuckled, running their fingers against the keys of the piano making quite the racket. It didn’t sound like music, but it didn’t matter. As long as they were having fun music didn’t quite have to sound like anything special. 

As they laughed together they suddenly found themselves staring into each other’s eyes. They had done it quite a few times during the trip and even after they had kissed several times, things hadn’t quite been the same. 

It was strange that the party made them feel awkward around one another as if every time in the past in which they had gotten close had been void. 

They had kissed one another three times now. Passionately. Birmingham. Austin. A couple of hours away from Scottsdale. Every single time was just as amazing as the last. 

Connie wasn’t like any of the girls he had been with in the past. The girls who had slept with him to check a box or score some weed. It sucked. Steven knew that Connie didn’t want either of them things and being with her had certainly been the best tour experience of his life so far. If Connie had kissed Steven, he knew that was because she wanted to - not because she wanted something from him. Connie didn’t have an ulterior motive.

Steven leant closer to Connie, suddenly feeling his presence becoming more prominent. His aftershave was overpowering, yet fantastic. She couldn’t stop looking at him as she watched the young man bite the bottom of his lip flirtatiously. 

"So, when I finally convince you to join my band do you know what instrument you want to play?" Steven slurred, interested to know what she could have her heart set on. 

"I'd like to give the triangle a try." Connie raised her eyebrows as she tilted her head, watching as Steven's hand slowly made its way over to her thigh. 

"Yeah? I'd be willing to give you lessons." Steven rested his hand by the top of her knee, using his thumb to circle her skinny jeans. 

"On the triangle?" Connie snorted slightly, noticing Steven's intimate touch and causing her to blush. He wanted to be close to her. 

"Mmmhmm. The triangle." Steven smirked, now completely trapped in a daze of Connie. All he could think about was how beautiful she looked sitting on the stool beside him. 

His mind wandered to some not-so-innocent thoughts. 

Connie stared back at Steven with his adorable lop-sided smile. She knew that he wanted to kiss her from the way he looked. His eyes practically pleading his desire for her.

Connie noticed the collar of his shirt had curled and reached over to adjust it. Steven sat contently as she moved his collar to make it somewhat neater. If she had allowed Steven to touch her, she wanted to have returned the favour. 

“We should find the key to that room. I want to know what's in there.” Connie stated, desperately wanting to have an adventure with Steven. 

"I have a feeling I know what's in there." 

"What?" 

"Two fallout shelters." Steven smirked, Connie suddenly realising he had been listening to her joke but hadn't taken the time to acknowledge it. 

"Dork." Connie chuckled as she confidently brushed his hand off her thigh and stood up. She made sure to take the wine bottle with her. 

She wasn’t quite sure if it was the wine starting to get to her, but her face was suddenly flushing a shade of red. 

“Key. Let’s find the key.” Steven nodded in confirmation as he stood up. 

“It’s got to be in here somewhere.” 

“It seems pretty silly for it to be in the room next door.” Steven laughed as he glanced around the room for somewhere that the key could have been hiding. 

“Yeah, well - rich people are stupid.” Connie commented as she found herself also looking around the room for somewhere the key would have been hiding. 

“What if you were rich?” Steven suddenly asked as he held onto either side of his jacket and waddled around the room as he started a conversation. 

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if you were rich - I wouldn’t think you would be stupid.” 

Connie took a drink from the bottle. 

“Okay, sure - perhaps the rich aren’t  _ stupid _ . At the end of the day, you’ve got to be pretty smart to earn success. Self-ascribed success? Nope - that’s bullshit. People should have to earn their success, it shouldn't just be handed to people on a silver platter. You're a perfect example of someone who could have used their self-ascribed status to gain success, but you didn't. You work hard and disconnect yourself from that handout. I respect that. You're doing things the right way.” Connie nodded, her words becoming a little more confident. 

“Oh, really?” Steven sniggered as he listened to her rant, suddenly spotting an unlocked box attached to the side of the wall. She was so attractive when she ranted about her strong opinions. 

“Do you know how many poor people are in this country? We have such an issue with poverty and yet if these greedy individuals with too much money decided to give everyone a slice of pie - that issue would be resolved!” Connie took another quick sip as she paced, no longer looking for the keys. 

Steven pushed open the lockbox as she spoke, suddenly seeing an abundance of keys.

“What kind of pie?” Steven turned back and cocked an eyebrow, Connie suddenly now far too invested in a rant to notice anything but the wine bottle in her hand and the subject she was expressing her opinion on. 

“It’s not about the pie, Steven.” Connie shook her head, clearly passionate about the subject. 

“Okay, but...pie...” Steven shrugged as he turned back and flicked through the keys in the lockbox. "I'm thinking cherry…" 

“All I’m saying is that we have such a lack grasp of humanity. Nobody  _ really _ knows what it’s like to be human because we’re so caught up in our own selfishness. It’s obscene. If we distributed the wealth of the billionaires on this planet a lot of our money situations would be solved and they would still be rich! The world's collective of billionaires has over thirty times the amount needed to end extreme poverty every single year. Imagine earning over two thousand dollars a  _ second _ and thinking that there isn't anything remotely wrong with that. Selfish. It's selfish. Our stance on this as a society is disgusting and things just have to change!” Connie didn’t stop pacing, continuing to gradually find the bottle on the edge of her lips between her sentences. 

Steven grabbed a key labelled ‘recording studio’ and smiled, closing the dropbox behind him and turning back towards Connie. He spun the key around his finger as he placed his other hand in his jacket pocket and stepped towards Connie who was continuing to passionately pace. 

“Connie?”

“Sure, every billionaire should dedicate their life to philanthropy. It's the only way that this world is going to be able to get remotely better. If money makes the world go round and four billion of the poorest people couldn't hold their own financially against eight of the world' richest people, then how are we supposed to live in this society without an obscene amount of guilt? How is it fair that this fancy man with all this materialistic stuff gets to live such a lavish lifestyle when only blocks away from his house there’s a homeless problem? That’s not fair! That’s outrageous! I’m  _ so _ mad!” Connie clenched her fists together, suddenly becoming intensely angry about the situation. 

“Connieeeeeeee.” Steven cooed with a wide grin spread across his face. She was so incredibly attractive when she spoke about subjects she knew lots about. Half the time, Steven had no idea what she was talking about, but her speeches were academically pleasing for the ears. 

“Do you want to know the worst thing? Nobody cares! If a rich person does something then they’ll always get a free pass. Someone struggling? They’ll be thrown in jail! Why is it that society gets to depict who is better than others based on wealth? It's not a sensible hierarchy system and destroys the good that people have put into this world for hundreds of years. Thousands of years. Oppression of the working man. A disgusting act that the United States of America and the corporations run by men in indestructible boxes of wealth across the world abide by day in and day out. We're slaves to society. Overworked and desperate, treated like dirt by these  _ fucking _ billionaires who think they're better than us! It’s an insane system that I can’t seem to get my hea-” 

“Connie!” Steven shouted slightly louder over her speech. 

“ _ What _ ?” Connie stopped in her tracks and snapped, somewhat enraged by her own words. 

“I love it when you're passionate about...” Steven looked away for a second, trying to figure out what it was she had been talking about. "...things." 

“You do?” Connie glanced over to the man on the opposite side of the room who was chewing on his bottom lip amorously. She watched his eyes as they found themselves drifting from her head down to the rest of her body.

“It’s...hot.  _ Really _ hot...” Steven purred, unable to control himself as he continued to hold the recording studio key on the end of his finger. 

Connie stood still, unable to tell whether or not it was the alcohol or Steven that had suddenly made her stomach drop. Nobody had ever said anything like that to her before. She had never considered herself ‘hot’.

“You found the key…” Connie suddenly nodded up towards the key on his finger. 

“Want to check it out?” 

“I think we should.” 

“Sure.” Steven smiled, not wanting to be too hurt if she hadn’t caught onto his flirting. He needed to learn to back away. There was a possibility it could have been making her feel uncomfortable. 

Just as Steven spun on his heel to exit the room he felt a sudden tug on his jacket causing him to spin back. He stopped in his tracks as Connie pulled him closer, this time they stood in the middle of the room - face to face. Steven noticed behind Connie that she had opted to place the bottle of wine on a desk that was off to the side as she grabbed him. 

“I really want to...” Connie spoke softly, this time her breath brushing up against Steven’s lips as she spoke. Confidence from within channelling her every thought. 

“Check out the room? Yeah, I have the key!” Steven repeated with a smile before holding up the key once more. 

He was such a dork. An attractive dork who played in an emo band and Connie couldn’t resist him. He was making her feel a way that she had never felt about anyone before. She wanted to do things with Steven that she had never done before. Everything about the trip was a new experience and Connie was ready to bring Steven along on the journey. 

Connie moved her hands up to either side of his jacket and held on tightly before looking straight into his eyes. Steven knew that look. The same look that she had given him every time that they had kissed passionately. A look of desire. 

“I…” Connie found herself lost for words. The alcohol had made her just tipsy enough to stumble on her words. It was either that or she had suddenly become drunk on Steven. 

“You’re so beautiful.” Steven whispered as he gazed into her eyes.

"You always say that…"

Steven slowly pushed Connie's hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. His fingers gently brushed against her neck causing her to shudder with exhilaration. She watched as Steven took a step closer and slowly leant towards her, his breath brushing against her skin. 

"What if I called you  _ sexy  _ instead?" Steven cooed quietly with intent in his tone, his voice barely a husky whisper. 

Nobody had ever called her sexy before. Nobody.

Nobody apart from Steven…

Her skin was warm as it began to heat in the moment, his words sending a euphoric shiver through her body. She had never looked at anyone the same way that she had looked at Steven in that moment. 

She felt powerless as his hands looped around her back. Her knees were weak at his touch. She wanted him to hold her. He too was incredibly...sexy. 

“Y-you…” Connie couldn’t quite figure out how to communicate. Steven cupped her cheek, realising that his words had completely incapacitated her ability to speak. 

_ Steven 'Casanova' Universe had successfully turned the charm on.  _

Steven used his thumb to stroke the top of her cheek, looking her in the eyes as she lifted her hands to place them on his chest. Instead of formulating words, she softly pressed her lips against Steven’s. Once again filled herself with elation, incredibly happy to have been locked in the moment with him. 

The kiss started slow and passionate, Connie gripping onto both sides of his denim jacket as if her life depended on it, pulling him as close to the kiss as possible. Connie found herself melting into the moment as if the only thing in the world that mattered was Steven. 

Steven held her closely before boldly removing himself from the kiss slightly, his eyes still closed as he caught his breath. 

“D-do you still want to check that room out?” Steven smiled on her lips. 

“I don’t see why not.” Connie tittered before going in for another kiss. 

Steven responded with a small chuckle against her lips, moving his hands to the bottom of her back and stepping backwards, their kisses suddenly becoming a lot sloppier and desperate. Steven didn’t even look as he opened the door with his hand and pushed it open with his foot, continuing to keep himself locked in the kiss. 

They both stumbled into the corridor, nearly tripping on one another as they found themselves exposed. Both of them suddenly getting slightly giddy at the idea of getting caught making out in the corridor. It was a fancy L.A. party - nobody would have cared. Although, the idea did excite them further. 

They needed to get into the recording studio, but they found it hard as Steven’s back slammed against the wall - Connie falling into him as they continued to kiss in the open. Each kiss was uncoordinated yet loving, Steven unable to keep his hands off her as they held one another close. 

Connie had taken to threading her fingers through the locks at the back of Steven’s head, a slight tug of his hair causing a meagre moan to escape his lips. Steven found his hands holding onto either side of her waist, slowly making their way further down with every frantic kiss. 

Steven was determined to get them inside of the studio, gently pushing his back off the wall as Connie caught sight of what he was trying to do. They shuffled over to the door, their lips not disconnecting once as they wobbled over to gain access. Steven attempted to place the key into the lock blind, refusing to let go of Connie.

Out of sheer frustration, both sexually and now suddenly the lock he found himself disconnecting their bodies as he jammed the key into the hole. He wanted to open the door as quickly as possible so he could have gotten back to the task at hand. Connie couldn’t help herself, continuing to stroke his hair as he battled with the lock. She wanted nothing more than to feel that connection with him again. 

“Come on!” Steven mumbled under his breath as he attempted to grant them access to the room. Connie waited slightly impatiently, glancing back down the corridor to see if anyone was coming. Just as before, it was empty. A distant hum of music from the floor below and Steven's grunts of frustration were the only things to be heard. 

The door clicked abruptly, suddenly granting them both access to the new room. Steven stood up straight and glanced back towards Connie who was still invading his personal space by brushing his unruly hair with her fingers. She was infatuated with him. 

They both smiled at one another sweetly before Steven wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close once more, instantly putting pressure back onto her lips. He used his elbow to press down on the handle, pushing his back against the heavy door and allowing them access to the room. 

Steven slapped his hand violently against the wall in an attempt to switch on some kind of lighting. Although he continued to keep his eyes closed, he noticed the change in brightness within the room. What they hadn’t quite clocked onto yet was the ambient purple lighting that dominated the recording studio. 

Their kisses continued to grow more desperate as Connie continued to scruff the back of his hair with her fingers, her fingernails scratching gently into his scalp. She felt his hands in all of the places she didn’t quite think anyone but herself would have ever touched. Everywhere was suddenly much more sensitive to his hands, each time he touched her sent her into a spiral of physical intoxication. 

Steven found himself accidentally pushing Connie against what seemed to be a wooden cabinet sat against the wall, more than likely filled with music equipment. She didn’t mind the force, but his body was hot and she could suddenly feel the difference in his weight and ability to pin her into an unnatural position against the cabinet. 

“Sorry...” Steven whispered, removing his lips - unsure whether or not he had hurt her with his strength. Connie didn’t seem to mind as Steven moved his kisses to the crook of her neck allowing a small moan to fall from her lips. A noise that she had never allowed anyone to hear before. 

Steven felt confidence from the noise, the tugging on his hair becoming slightly more intense as she felt his body weight against her. Their hips practically curved into one another, Connie excited to feel every part of Steven and his attraction for her. She could feel the restraint through his jeans that pressed against her inner thigh - a desperate need to be closer. 

Connie had never been in the current position of pleasure before, her unsung confidence coming from both her respect for Steven and the slight intoxication that she felt from the wine as it slowly started to overtake her mind with drunken horny thoughts. She probably would have thought them completely sober too. At least if she was sober she would have been able to combat them. 

Steven continued his pursuit of kisses on her neck, making his way down to her collarbones that were exposed by the black strapped button-up that she had brought specifically for the party. Despite having numerous sexual partners in the past, he had never desired someone so much. Not like  _ this _ . 

Steven pushed himself forward, bucking his hips as his hands made their way downwards from her waist to her butt. Connie noticed the touch immediately, the intimacy instantly becoming a new experience for her. 

Connie sucked in a short breath of air at the touch, not used to anyone feeling her in that way. Steven looked up at her, checking into to make sure that he wasn’t being too forward. He kept himself as close to her as possible, holding onto her ass through her tight skinny jeans. He needed to know that she was after the same thing that he was. He had to test the waters somehow. 

“Is this...okay?” Steven attempted to catch his breath that he had somewhat lost during his frantic kisses against her skin. 

Connie nodded shyly as she held her hands against his chest, bunching up some of the pink shirt in her hand and holding it tightly. Despite the stability that came from him holding her, she couldn’t help but want to continue with their desperate touches. A craving that she didn’t quite know she needed to feed. 

Steven gently pushed his hips towards her once more, this time having complete control of Connie’s direction. She could feel his physical attraction for her, causing everything in her lower vicinity to tighten with lust. Connie had never been sexually attracted to anyone as much as she was to Steven in that moment. 

They forced their lips back together with ambition, a kiss that continued to deepen with every breath. Connie moved her hands up to his cheeks, feeling his slight stubble against her palms. There was no time for much consideration for anything - there was suddenly something on both of their minds. 

There had been plenty of times over the past two weeks that the two of them had been desperate to have gotten closer to one another. Something was alluring about the other that attracted them to the current conclusion that was stuck within their mind. 

Sex. 

Although Steven liked to see himself as a seasoned expert when it came to sex, his ever so smooth skills seemed somewhat sloppy in the presence of Connie.

He was nervous. 

He had never been nervous about having sex before. 

For Steven, the kind of interaction he was currently having with Connie was the kind of thing he had found himself caught up in many times before. Except, the difference being that with Connie he had spent the past week or so getting to know her. Getting to understand her. Feeling an intense passionate need for her to be closer to him. 

He wanted her to stay with him, not for the sex - for him. 

“Do you…” Steven unlatched their lips and quietly began to ask the question, staring directly into her eyes to ask for her consent. 

“Yes.” Connie pressed their foreheads together as he kissed her lips once more. She knew exactly what he was going to ask and had decided quickly how she was going to answer. 

“We’ve had a little to drink, I don’t want you to-” Steven was all for making sure that his partner could verbally consent.

“I’m okay, Steven. I’m saying  _ yes _ .” 

“Oh. Okay.” 

“I want this.” Connie smiled as she continued to slowly run her hand against the side of his face where his bristly stubble sat. “I want you…” 

“You want to have  _ sex _ with me?” Steven questioned, asking one last time for confirmation. 

“Yes! I want to have  _ sex _ with you.” Connie breathed heavily with a smile, feeling Steven push closer towards her as she gave him her verbal permission to continue. 

“Good, because I  _ really _ want to have sex with you too…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IF YOU WOULD LIKE AN EXPLICIT CONTINUATION OF THIS (*HIGHLY RECOMMENDED*, BUT NOT ESSENTIAL) PLEASE CHECK OUT THE LINK BELOW! CHAPTER 11.5: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26087896
> 
> It's a smut continuation of this chapter written by Psychedelic_Star. Please check it out! 
> 
> Thank you so much for your passion for this story, it's been so cool working on it with you. Rockstar forever! Thanks, bro. <3


	12. Denver, CO

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neither of them had expected the party to have ended up the way it did. Connie begins to come to terms with her actions as Steven...
> 
> Well...
> 
> Steven's doing a whole lot of smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you read City of Angels in the inspired fics? Hm, you probably should! I would certainly recommend it. :^) Wink wink. 
> 
> I did the edit for this at 3am and then just...I was supposed to go over again and I never did so just...shhhh.

The blinds in the hotel room were parted just enough to allow light to shine through. Connie’s eyes were practically glued together as she attempted to open them amongst the light that had suddenly decided to punish her for her actions the previous night. She had no concept of time as she stared across the room, noticing the fact she wasn’t quite alone in the bed. 

Her pillow wasn’t a cotton blend either - it was Steven. 

She glanced upwards, realising that she had been cuddling up to him for as long as she could remember. It must have been all night. Or at least - all morning. They must have returned to the hotel at nearly four in the morning. 

“Afternoon, _Sleepyhead_.” Steven mumbled, suddenly adopting the pet name for Connie. It would have been a lie to have said she hated it. 

Connie stretched slightly, removing herself from his chest and reaching over to grab her glasses off the nightstand. Steven noticed her struggle, taking the glasses off the nightstand beside his wallet and unfolding them for her. 

Steven went to place them over her eyes, but before he could get any closer to her face she had taken them off him and pushed them up her nose. It finally revealed his goofy smile looking up at her in wonderment.

Connie practically found herself falling beside Steven, his arm remaining underneath her and holding her close. She had remembered that only hours ago he had been taking the glasses off her, a strangely intimate experience. 

Connie wasn’t quite sure if it was the exhaustion or the alcohol, but she couldn’t quite remember all of the events that occurred the previous night. She remembered the mansion, the wine, the instruments, Steven’s lips and...the sex. _Oh boy - the sex._

They had sex. 

“We…” Connie’s voice was raspy as she looked over at Steven with furrowed eyebrows. 

“Yeah…” Steven smirked, instantly knowing what she was referring to. 

“At the party…”

“And the hotel…” Steven added, somewhat feeling confident in his words. They had spent an unforgettable night together. Except, it seemed Connie needed her memory jogging. 

Not only had they had desperately sloppy sex at the party, but they had also made their way back to the hotel only to try once more - taking their time to make it as loving and as passionate a possible. Steven hadn’t quite expected it to happen twice - but he wasn’t complaining. 

He had never had sex with the same girl more than once before. 

The memories flooded back to Connie, suddenly remembering the sheer pleasure she had experienced throughout the night. Steven had done an excellent job in making sure she was as comfortable as possible and that they were both having a great time. She remembered asking him to stay the night - something that no girl had ever asked him before. The expression on his face had proven that quite quickly. 

“That was really...nice.” Connie placed her hand on his stomach as she nuzzled up closer towards him, a part of her never wanting to leave the bed. 

“You were amazing.” Steven sighed, twirling her hair through his fingers. He had never had the opportunity to tell a girl how much they meant to him. How much their time together had meant to him. 

Steven always wanted to be the man to make his sexual partners coffee the morning after and yet it had never gotten to that point. There had never been a morning after before. This was Steven’s first time that a girl had stayed behind and even had a conversation with him that didn’t consist of:

_‘No strings attached - it was just sex.’_

_‘If I knew fucking a boy in a band would be this complicated I wouldn’t have bothered.’_

_‘Your music sucks...you’re pretty hot though.’_

_‘So, you’ve got spare weed - right?’_

Steven had never felt more complete in his entire life as he woke up beside Connie. She wasn’t there for anything more than wanting to be with him. The sex he had experienced was unlike any other, it wasn’t quick and careless - it was a labour of love. 

“I hope the others are okay.” Connie exhaled, suddenly thinking about Max and the others. She couldn’t quite begin to imagine what they had gotten up to. She hoped that they hadn’t found themselves stuck in a gutter. 

Connie suddenly thought about the wellbeing of them all - especially Max. The last time that she had seen her was at the beginning of the party when Jenny had dragged her away. She wondered if Max had a wild night too - Connie’s certainly beat her average Friday nights of being stuck in her dorm room with her head inside of a textbook. 

“I’m sure they can look after themselves. I’ve texted them to see if they’re okay.” Steven slurred, too in the moment with Connie to have considered thinking more about where the heck the rest of his band were. Max certainly hadn’t returned to the room that Connie was staying in which just so happened to be the one that her and Steven slept in. 

There was a possibility that Max could have taken Steven’s place in Jenny’s room. Connie hoped for the best. Steven knew what they were all like when it came to being on tour, each of them going off and doing their own thing before eventually making their way back to the band. 

They had a whole day to show up, considering they didn’t have to leave Los Angeles until the next day. The next stop was Denver. 

“Did they respond?” 

“Sour Cream just told me about some random dude they had met who knew just about everything about music. I didn’t quite understand the text.” Steven sniggered, there was no hope in getting through to them when they were either high or drunk out of their minds. 

Connie groaned as she found herself pulling the covers around herself, not quite remembering her nudity. She wasn’t quite embarrassed to be seen in front of Steven, it wasn’t as if they hadn’t just had sex twice. However, despite that, she still felt slightly self-conscious about her body.

Throughout the night she had doubted how much she truly knew the man. Was he as much of a stranger as she had first thought? 

She certainly knew him better than she knew most of the people that she had spent time around in college for the past couple of years. She knew him better than a lot of people. He wasn't a stranger to her at all.

Steven watched as she sat up, taking the sheets with her and revealing her bare back to him. Steven couldn’t help but run his eyes across her figure - it was perfect in every way. 

Connie glanced around the room, noticing Steven’s clothes thrown over a chair on the opposite side of the room. The bed beside them was still perfectly made up from the day before, not a single person having touched it as Max’s bag sat opposite them both. 

“I need a shower.” Connie sighed, running her fingers through her hair. She kept her other arm close to her body, holding up the sheets to cover herself. She was hot and sweaty, her body dominated by the stench of sex. Although it had been a pleasurable experience, everything in her lower vicinity had become painful to even think about. 

Steven certainly had the experience under his belt. 

Steven scratched his stubbled before tilting his head against the headboard of the bed, reaching over and drawing a small circle at the bottom of Connie’s back with his finger. She felt a slight shiver through her spine at the touch. 

“Me too.” Steven subtly mentioned, diverting his eyes away from Connie as he thought of an idea. “Could we, maybe, shower to-”

“No. I…” Connie swallowed, suddenly thinking that showering with Steven would have crossed the line of intimacy. She used the palm of her hand to rub her eyes.

“Sorry, was th-”

“No, it’s okay. Really.” Connie turned back to look at him lying in the bed. It was the first time she had truly looked at him since last night. 

There he was, lying back on the headboard with his usual adorable yet sexy expression. It was clear he hadn’t attempted to shave yet, his stubble poking through more than usual giving the bottom half of his face a much darker complexion. His hair didn’t quite look as styled as it did when they had been at the show the previous night, instead, loose strands sloppily fell onto his forehead. She had successfully run her fingers through his hair so much that it no longer looked as neat as it usually did. 

His chest was bare, once again exposing just the right amount of chest hair to show off his masculinity. He was wearing a pair of tightly fitted black boxers that left no room for the imagination, half of which had been covered by the sheets. He was somewhat muscular, but he wasn’t ashamed of his slight gut that Connie believed was one of the things that helped make him so cuddly. 

She couldn’t help but notice the bruises on his collarbone and his neck - had she done that?

Connie watched as he smiled up at her, placing one of his hands behind his head, suddenly showing off more of his body hair. Connie smiled back - being that attractive should have been illegal. 

“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” Steven tried his hardest to flirt once more. 

“Only you...” Connie admitted with a small smile. This time she wasn't going to counter his compliments. 

“There’s no way that’s true!” Steven scoffed, upset by her comment. Why wouldn’t anyone else have called Connie beautiful? It was clear as day.

“Maybe my parents…”

“That doesn’t count. What about all those college guys?” 

“What college guys?” 

“I don’t know...the guys at your college?” Steven shrugged, not quite grasping the concept of education and the harsh social scale that came with it. 

“I don’t really get out much. I’m more of a pen and paper kind of girl.” Connie snorted, realising just quite how boring her life must have sounded to Steven - the man in an exciting band touring the states.

“You make it sound like that’s a bad thing.” Steven furrowed his eyebrows, his mind suddenly diverting back to a similar conversation that he had with Connie the night before. This time, the roles were reversed. 

“Well, this has been the most exciting two weeks of my entire life.” Connie laughed, referring back to her time on the tour with Max and the band. Not only that but the time that she had spent romantically with Steven. 

“That’s not a bad thing. This is just the start of something different. Something new and exciting! Hey, maybe you’ll be inspired by your trip!” Steven shrugged, realising that Connie’s awakening could have been slightly similar to the trip he had decided to take himself on as a teenager when leaving home. It was all about finding yourself. 

“I don’t know…” 

“You can be whoever you want to be.” Steven had suddenly gone from what Connie believed to be the sexiest man in existence to being just like the many pre-recorded motivational seminars she watched on her phone late at night when she was feeling down. 

Steven’s sudden motivational tone irked her. He had always been a pretty positive person around her, but for some reason, his sudden change of dialogue was strange for her to hear. She suddenly much preferred the Steven who was moaning her name in the early hours of the morning. 

She couldn’t get too caught up. 

Connie found herself lying back down on her back, bringing the covers with her. She didn’t quite feel like responding with anything positive back to Steven. There wasn’t much that she could have said that would have done much for her low self-esteem. 

She was having an internal crisis. She had just lost her virginity to the frontman of Star Destroyers. As much as she was enjoying herself - that certainly wasn't how she had pictured it in her mind when thinking about her first time. 

Pressed up against a soundboard in a recording studio? She couldn't have predicted that even if she had tried. 

She had internally promised herself that she would have gotten up, showered and consumed some kind of food to fill her empty stomach. Her motivation for any of those things was nil, certain that Steven had voided her of any existence and ability to walk the previous night. Steven noticed her exhaustion, he couldn’t help but feel as if every time he opened his mouth something was being thrown back at him. 

He internalised his panic, hoping that he hadn’t said or done anything wrong to hurt Connie. He noticed her disconnect whenever he attempted to flirt or say something to help boost her spirits. Steven didn’t want to overstep any boundaries. 

Connie turned and watched as the young man sat up and shuffled himself over to the edge of the bed. Just as he had viewed her back, Connie now got a full-length view of his body all the way down to the cuff of his boxers. There were scratch marks on his back, making her somewhat embarrassed at the sight. She watched him walk over to the chair with his clothes, picking them all up and then returning to his position on the bed. He picked up his jeans and went to put them on, the belt buckle clinking as he pulled them up each leg. 

He grabbed his pink shirt and threw it on, not quite bothering to do each of the buttons up before turning back to Connie who was now staring up at him with wide eyes, tucked underneath the covers comfortably. 

“You’re a coffee drinker - right?” Steven cocked an eyebrow as he began to buckle the belt on the front of his jeans, now practically standing over her. 

“Steven, I’m a college student.” Connie mumbled into the covers that she had pulled up to her mouth. 

“Right. Just double-checking.” Steven smiled, fiddling about with his belt buckle a little more than he should have. 

“Where are you going?” Connie questioned, suddenly not wanting him to leave her behind in the hotel room alone. She missed being tucked up beside him. 

“I was going to get us coffee, maybe some breakfast? Well, lunch...brunch...brinner?” Steven confirmed before looking up at the ceiling and debating in his mind what the meal combination would have been called. It certainly couldn’t have been brunch, it was already two in the afternoon. 

“A big coffee?” Connie once again mumbled into the sheets, this time fluttering her eyelashes slightly. 

“I’ll get you a big coffee. The biggest they sell.” Steven grinned as he buttoned up his shirt, starting from the bottom and making his way up. Connie was somewhat disappointed he had once again hidden his chest behind the shirt. 

Steven debated in his mind whether or not to lean over and kiss her again. He had never been with a girl like this before and he was unsure of where the line was when it came to romance.

Connie watched him contently as he picked up his shoes and slid them on, not bothering with the battered shoelaces. He stepped over to the mirror on the opposite side of the room and fixed his hair, restoring it to its usual glorious fluffiness as he adjusted it in such a way to mimic the styling. 

“Steven?” Connie spoke in a whisper. 

“Mmmhmm?” Steven turned away from the mirror to face Connie as she spoke, his fingers still running through his hair. Connie suddenly wished she could have been the one to brush her fingers through his fluffy hair. 

“Are you going to tell the others about this? About...us?” Connie suddenly brought up, worried that he may have seen them around and just happen to mention that yes - he did manage to fuck the groupie. Connie hurt over the idea, although from what she knew about Steven it didn't seem like something he would have done to her. 

The group weren’t stupid and they had an idea of what was going on between the two of them. They had been making wide eyes and flirtatious comments with one another since the very beginning. The band had worried that Steven would have been heartbroken if things didn’t quite turn out how he expected, however, for now - things were better than ever. 

Steven’s expression dropped slightly. It wasn’t as if he told his band all of his escapades when it came to women. Sure, a few of them came up in conversation - but they were his friends and they supported him through his good and bad choices in life. Connie was different and he certainly wouldn’t have been embarrassed to admit what they had done together. He _really_ liked her. 

“I wasn’t...planning to. Do you want me to?” Steven let out a small yet nervous laugh. 

“No! It’s okay, I was just curious to know. I don’t want Max to-”

“It’s okay. It can be our little secret...” Steven smiled as he looked over towards her, still running his fingers through his hair as he spoke. 

It wouldn’t have been a secret for very long. It wasn’t the fact that they would have found out that they had sex - it would have been pretty obvious. Steven’s inability to keep his eyes off her would have been a dead giveaway. They wanted to spend as much time as possible together until the tour came to a close and everyone would have to go back to their normal lives. 

Steven walked over to the door and grabbed the keycard for the room as he passed the table by the entrance. He stood by the door for a moment, spinning the card in his hand. Connie was a little confused as to what he was doing stood there until she watched him spin on his heels and walk towards her. 

"What are yo-" Before Connie could question why he hadn't left already his lips had been pushed against hers. 

Steven gripped onto the keycard with one hand as he used the other to hold her chin, kissing her softly on the lips what seemed to have been repeatedly. Connie allowed him to kiss her as she propped herself up with her elbow in the bed. Steven slowly unlatched their lips, pressing his nose up against hers as he let out a long breath and smiled. 

"You'll be here when I get back - right?" Steven smiled, wanting verbal confirmation of her answer. He knew what she was going to have said but was desperate to hear it anyway. It had never happened to him before. 

"That's why you're taking the keycard, silly." Connie laughed, grabbing the keycard from his hand and waving it in front of him as he stood up straight beside the bed. He gently snatched the card back from between her fingers. 

"Okay." Steven couldn't help the small blush that filled his cheeks. He was over the moon. He had never felt this way before. 

Connie waved up at Steven and watched him exit the room. As soon as the door had closed behind him, Connie laid flat on her back and stared at the ceiling. What was she thinking? What would Max have said? 

She had slept with the lead singer of Star Destroyers and _enjoyed_ it. She had slept with him twice. In one night. 

Connie groaned, eventually dragging herself out of bed and into the shower. A part of her felt guilty that she didn’t quite have the confidence to share the shower with him. That would ironically have been too intimate for her, despite seeing the disappointment spread across his face when she had rejected his advance. She liked him - a lot, but did that allow for something so close? 

Sex was intimate - even more so. Connie just wanted some time...alone. 

As Connie showered she couldn’t seem to shake the feeling of the man so close to her. An incomparable intimacy as all Connie could feel was the ache of where he was once inside of her. She had lost her virginity to a boy in a band. This wasn’t how she had imagined it happening. 

In Connie’s mind, there was always some kind of romantic purity that came with the thought of her losing her virginity. Except now her first time was ingrained within the mind of her being pushed up against a soundboard as his hands touched her in places that even she hadn’t completely explored yet. 

Connie stepped out of the shower and was thankful for the mirror being filled with condensation. She didn’t want to have to look at her body. She didn’t want to see what Steven saw, only bringing down her confidence further. Except, it seemed that Steven was more than happy to help her undress. He wanted to see her naked and he loved her body. She did not need to be worried about it. 

Despite Steven making her feel sexy, she didn’t quite feel sexy herself. She had to learn to shake the feeling away, it was clear that Steven was interested in her body. She could always feel his eyes burning into her skin with the amount that he looked at her. 

She reached over to the mirror and wiped the condensation off with the towel, attempting to get a better look at herself. It seemed as if Steven had done a number on her body as she noticed a few new scratches and the hickeys that she had allowed him to give her. She ran her hand over her neck, it wasn't something that her hair and concealer couldn't have solved. 

It was hard for Connie to have seen herself as sexy and yet as she stood in front of the mirror she thought about all of the times in which Steven had complimented her. All of the times that he had tried to touch her. His desire to have been as close to her as possible. 

He had made her feel beautiful. Pretty. _Sexy_. Over and over. 

Wasn't it about time that she was to accept his words? 

After her shower, she began to dry her hair before deciding on calling her parents to check in with them. It wasn’t as if she could ever speak to them about what had happened, but she hoped that hearing their voices would put her mind straight. 

Steven trailed down the hotel corridors, feeling all kinds of emotions swimming within him. Most of his thoughts were scenes within his mind, replaying all of the things that had happened between him and Connie throughout the night. The feel of her skin against his, the way she spoke his name, the temporary indentations of her nails in his back, the way he felt inside of-

He stepped into the elevator and made his way through the lobby. It was his mission to find coffee and that was just what he was going to do. Steven made his way out of the hotel and found himself a coffee shop just a two-minute walk away from the hotel. There were coffee shops everywhere. 

Steven did, in fact, buy the _biggest_ coffee he could for Connie, there was no arguing that. He also managed to pick up a small number of pastries and other baked goods that he knew Connie would have appreciated. 

Before heading back to the hotel room he made his way over to the tour van, placing the coffee cups on the floor as he reached into his pocket for the keys. He was incredibly impressed that he had managed to keep the single key on him the entire night without losing it. That would have been a disaster. 

He stepped inside of the van and placed the coffees and small bag of pastries on the passenger seat before closing the door and leaning over to the glove compartment. He popped it open, revealing a small bag of pre-rolled spliffs that Sour Cream had made with such care and precision on the ride over. Steven didn’t hesitate to take one out of the bag and placed it between his lips. 

He grabbed a lighter and pushed the glove box shut. He glanced up and watched the cars on the highway drive past the front of the hotel, everything was so normal outside. Steven didn’t think that Connie would have minded if he had snuck away for a quick smoke, it would have given her a lot more time to have gotten ready and Steven would have been a somewhat functioning human being once again. 

Steven had felt an immense rush of pleasure the previous night as if there was nothing he wanted to experience again within his life. Being with Connie had been a completely different sexual experience than he had ever witnessed before. Sure, having sex in a recording studio was both slightly uncomfortable and incredibly hot. 

Connie wasn’t anything like the other people that he had slept with. She was completely different. A new experience. Not only was the sex fantastic, but there was an emotional intimacy that Steven had been lacking throughout all of the other times that he had been with anyone. He still couldn’t get it out of his head that he had been privileged enough to sleep in the same bed as her throughout the night, opening his eyes and having her still being next to him. 

Steven didn’t hesitate before lighting up the blunt and allowing himself to slide downwards in the driver’s seat. Steven was usually the sort of guy to have gotten high out of his mind after or before sex with anyone and being with Connie sober was a good feeling. It felt good. 

That didn’t mean that Steven couldn’t have been self-indulgent later on. 

He had opted for the spliff so that he wasn’t smoking straight, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t after a slight high. It didn’t take him long to finish, suddenly panicking that the coffee would have gotten cold. He stubbed the spliff out in the ashtray by the stick shift, already full of previously smoked cigarettes and blunts.

Steven took the coffees and pastries back up to the hotel room, he unlocked the door with the keycard that she had given him and saw Connie sat on the end of her bed, fully clothed and in the process of brushing her hair he noted that he had been gone long enough. Perhaps a little too long. 

He placed the coffees down on the table in front of Connie, she noticed the sheer size difference in the two cups. Steven then took note of the fact that she currently had her phone to her ear, participating in a conversation he could only assume was with Max. Connie didn’t say a word as she listened contently to what her parents had to say, mostly bickering on about something that she hadn’t quite been listening to. She was holding her hairbrush in the other hand, clearly halfway through the task simply being distracted by the phone call. 

Steven sat himself down beside her before looking over, a stressed expression in her face. Connie looked up at him, suddenly being hit with the smell of both tobacco and marijuana all at once. Steven knew the smell would have burnt into his clothes, but he planned to have a shower anyway. It didn’t matter too much. 

“Yeah, it’s been a really good experience so far.” Connie suddenly responded to the conversation on her phone, hoping that Steven would understand that being quiet was the best option. 

Connie looked up at the large coffee that was sitting on the table in front of her and Steven instantly reached out to grab it for her. He was a sucker for chivalry and smiled as he passed it over, taking the hairbrush out of her hand and replacing it for the coffee. She mouthed the words ‘thank you’ as she took a sip of the much-needed beverage. 

Steven, slightly high and somewhat still horny crawled behind her with the hairbrush still in hand. Connie watched him in the mirror in front of her as he found his way to sit as close as possible to her. He stretched his legs around her and shuffled closer to her back so she could practically feel him against her. Connie couldn't help but notice he was still wearing his shoes, feeling slightly uncomfortable over the fact that he had put them on the bedsheets. 

Much to Connie’s surprise, Steven took a sudden interest in her hair. He ran it through his fingers before holding it gently and pulling through with the brush to make sure there weren't any tangles. As much as Connie was trying to listen to her parent’s conversation on the phone, all she could concentrate on was the brush that Steven was softly pulling through her hair. 

“We’re trying to take as many pictures as possible.” Connie commented on her phone call more as she turned back to Steven and smirked, informing him of both the confusion in her expression and the enjoyment she was getting out of being looked after by him. It felt nice. 

As Connie turned it exposed her bare neck that had already been littered with hickeys, causing Steven to completely rid the area of any loose hairs with the brush before deciding to use his hand instead. Connie shivered as she felt his lips plant soft kisses against the crook of her neck just as they had done the night before. She prayed her parents wouldn’t have been able to hear his gentle smooches against her sensitive skin. 

Connie reached up to swat him away before realising she was trapped with both the phone and the coffee in her hands. If she wanted to get him off she was going to have to move and yet she felt paralysed, the feeling of his lips so perfect against her skin. She was overly aware of where his hands were starting to travel, underneath her arms and up towards her chest. 

This was a risky game and as much as she wanted to be mad at Steven for his persistence, it didn’t feel as if she could be. She was so caught up in the feeling of him against her. It was like a drug and she craved more. 

“We're in L.A. at the moment. We're travelling to Denver tomorrow." Connie looked up in the mirror as she spoke, Steven still showering her with kisses that weren't quite so innocent. She watched as his hands made their way around her waist, teasing at the hem. She knew what he wanted and she certainly wasn't going to let him get it. Especially not on a phone call to her parents! 

Connie pushed her elbow against his arm the best she could with the coffee still in her hand, it was getting pretty warm now and she was unable to put it back on the desk. Steven looked up at the touch, resting his chin on her shoulder and looking up at the mirror at them both. She was gorgeous and Steven couldn't help himself but smirk as she shook her head to inform him that now was not the time. 

Connie noticed he had wrapped his arms around her and kept his chin on her shoulder, holding her tightly with his legs either side of her. She felt safe in his grip and the view in the mirror was one she wasn't used to. 

Connie noticed how good they looked together. 

Steven was filled with elation. He had never been with anyone like this before. He was filled with happiness and love as he held her, wanting nothing more than to cuddle with her all day. He had never been with a girl in the way that he currently was. Romantic and passionate. 

"Yeah, we're currently exploring L.A. It's...pretty different." Connie couldn't take her eyes off Steven, his reflection looking like a photograph that she wanted to savour forever. 

"The best kind of different..." Steven purred into her ear causing Connie's eyes to widen. Steven hadn't quite paid any attention to what Connie had been saying on the phone until that point. Although it seemed as if it would have been a weird thing to say to Max, he didn't quite expect it to have been her parents. 

"Oh nothing, _Mom_! It's just Max messing around. Y'know how she is!" Connie chuckled nervously before turning around and scowling at Steven. He let go of her and sat back, feeling a little awkward with his telling off. 

There was a slight pause. 

"Okay, well I'll speak to you tomorrow? Alright. Bye." Connie was desperate to get off the phone call now that Steven had made things a little more awkward. 

She internally prayed that her parents had no idea, but there was no way of telling. She was twenty-one and could do whatever she wanted and yet no matter what she did, she always felt as if her parents were watching overhead. 

Connie took a long sip of the coffee and ended the call with her mother before shaking her head at Steven. 

"Really?" Connie snorted, unable to control herself. He was sitting on the bed with his hands out behind him holding him up as his feet balanced either side of her, with his shoes still on hanging off the end of the bed. 

"I didn't expect it to be your mom." 

"Well, I didn't expect you to...come in and do whatever it was you did." Connie sighed. 

"Kiss you?" 

"Yeah…" 

"It's hard not to." Steven groaned with a smile. 

"Try harder." Connie insisted as she smirked, standing up and taking another sip of the coffee. "Thanks for the coffee, by the way." Connie held the large cup up. 

" _Real_ big coffee." Steven laughed at the sheer size of the coffee, Connie’s hand barely able to reach halfway around the cup. She wasn’t quite sure if she was able to finish the whole drink, but she had asked for a big coffee. He certainly delivered. 

“ _Real_ big coffee.” Connie sighed with a smile, looking down at him with a loving expression. He was so handsome laying on the bed in front of her, now holding himself up with his elbows. The pink shirt he had brought for the party was incredibly creased and certainly needed to have been ironed. The top buttons were still undone and the collar curled at the edges. 

“Want to go to the pier today?” Steven questioned, thinking of an activity the two of them could do together either alone or with the band. He didn’t quite mind either way, although he was more than happy to spend the rest of the day with Connie. 

“What? Santa Monica?” Connie wasn’t quite sure what other piers he could have possibly been referring to in the area. 

“Yeah! All the best skate shops are in that area and it’s a huge tourist trap. I thought maybe you would want to go?” Steven titled his head slightly as he posed the question. 

“It’s getting pretty late in the day, we should probably think about going soon. We should find everyone else.” Connie suggested. 

“I should probably get changed. My bag is in Jenny’s room.” Steven sighed as he stared down at the same clothes he had been wearing since early yesterday morning. They were covered in the stench of sweat, weed and sex. 

“What are we supposed to tell them?” Connie’s expression suddenly dropped as she snapped back to reality. 

“About?”

“Well, you slept in my room last night. Isn’t that...weird?” 

“It’s not if Max and Jenny were in my room.” Steven shuffled to the end of the bed and stood up beside Connie. 

“Still, isn’t it a _little_ suspicious? Do you think they’ll...know?” 

Steven stood opposite Connie and smiled over at her before gently placing his hands on her arms before leaning forward and planting a small kiss on her forehead. 

“You worry too much.” He chuckled as he pulled away. 

“I have a legitimate reason.”

“Me too - but it’ll be fine. I’ll tell them I slept in the van.” Steven confirmed, also having his reasoning behind him not wanting the band to know about his sexual escapades. Especially not with Connie. 

“Okay. Alright. We can do this.” Connie began to hype herself up for the rest of the day. The day after sleeping with Steven. How was she supposed to keep quiet about it? How was she going to be able to stop thinking about it? She wasn’t. It was going to be a nightmare. 

They could keep their secret for as long as they wanted to. The problem was, with everyone in the band already convinced that something was going on between the two of them it would have been hard to stay away from the truth. Nobody needed to know - that was private information that only the two of them held. Steven certainly wasn’t going to tell anyone unless he was prompted, with his track record he was sure that things would have gone wrong after having sex and yet...things were still going pretty well. He didn’t want to jinx it. 

“We can.” Steven grinned before planting yet another kiss on her forehead and pulling her in for a hug. 

“Steven! Coffee! Big coffee!” Connie gasped, stepping back to make sure that the coffee didn’t get crushed between the two of them. 

“Oh, sorry. Big coffee.” Steven scratched the back of his neck as Connie placed the coffee down on the side before taking a step forward and placing her head on his chest, allowing him to hug her tightly. 

Steven placed his chin on top of her head and held her tight. All Connie could smell was the pungent smell of weed that had been ingrained in his clothes. He had much more of a pleasant smell as he breathed in deeply and got the sweet scent of her cherry shampoo. The level of intimacy he had experienced with Connie was far beyond what he had ever experienced with anyone else. Nobody wanted to hug him like this. 

They stood there for a while before finally deciding to go about their day. It was already the middle of the afternoon and they had decided on trying to see if they could have gotten to Santa Monica for the evening. Connie was pretty excited to see the sunset by the pier despite feeling as if they had only just woken up. 

They eventually found the others. Max had passed out on Steven’s bed but was slowly recovering from one of the most intense nights of her life. It wasn’t just Connie that had a crazy night, it seemed as if Max had some stories to tell - if she could remember them. 

“I died and came back to life. I saw death. I saw _Heaven_. I saw everything in between.” Max explained as she sat at the end of the bed, happily accepting the second half of the big coffee that Connie had. She wasn’t going to be able to finish it. 

“Are you sure? Pretty certain the only thing you saw was the inside of a toilet.” Jenny jeered as she sat in front of the mirror adjusting her earrings. 

“Shut up. I wasn’t _that_ bad.” Max rolled her eyes before popping the lid of the coffee off the paper cup and chugging the lukewarm beverage. Connie grimaced at the sight before shrugging over towards Jenny. 

“Your girl is funny, Connie.” Jenny laughed before continuing to apply mascara in front of the mirror. Their room was identical to the room that her and Steven had spent the night in. 

“Yeah, do you want her?” Connie teased as Max finished off the coffee and gave her a sheer look of distaste as she slowly wiped her mouth on her sleeve. Their friendship was filled with so much love and hate. 

“Yeah, I’ll take her. She’s cute.” Jenny didn’t bother to turn around, already knowing what Max’s face would have looked like. 

Max bit her bottom lip as she smiled, nudging Connie violently and winking. Connie rolled her eyes and sighed, she couldn’t quite comment on the flirtation considering her infatuation with Steven. Steven was currently showering in the bathroom after having picked up his bag that was inside of the room. 

They had come up with a plan to get themselves both in the room without drawing attention to themselves. Of course, it was Connie’s plan. 

Connie had gotten Steven to send a text message to Jenny to get the ball rolling, asking if he could go and get his stuff out of the room. This then triggered Max to message Connie and ask what they would have been doing with the rest of their day. Connie then asked about where Max was which led to her going back into the room, following a few minutes after Steven. It was the best way to keep the plan tight without arousing suspicion. 

Buck and Sour Cream joined the room slightly after and Steven escaped from the bathroom with a new change of clothes. Connie suggested the idea of going to the pier to spend the rest of their day and everyone was quick to respond. 

As much as they knew they had a whole evening in L.A. before travelling for another show the next night it was still incredibly disheartening to know they would have to leave so soon. 

Once they arrived in Santa Monica everyone apart from Max and Connie took to their boards at one of the many local skateparks. Connie happily gave the board another go, Steven desperate to help her out. She allowed him to guide her through the steps to keeping herself balanced on the board but wasn’t prepared to allow him to hold her unless she truly was going to fall. Steven, although somewhat hurting inside from the rejection, was starting to understand and accept her refusal for public displays of their affection. He too should have been careful. 

They ate street food on the pier before making their way over to the beach to watch the sunset. Connie sat beside Max and stared up at the pier overlooking the rest of the beach, the lights illuminating down onto the ocean. It was gorgeous and each of them just felt the need to snap a few pictures with one another in front of the sight. 

“Come on, get on in here!” Jenny insisted as the band stood in front of both Max and Connie who had been directing some kind of band photoshoot without quite realising. 

Max half-buried an old soda can into the sand before leaning her phone against it, setting a timer and running over to the band, gesturing for Connie to do the same. Connie laughed as she tried her hardest to run in the sand, her shoes drowning in uncomfortable grains. She quickly took her glasses off and tucked them in her back pocket for the photo. Connie stood next to Steven and smiled widely, she watched as he threw his arm around Sour Cream and tucked his hand neatly around her waist to pull her closer into the photograph - the pier lighting up in the background. Sour Cream and Buck gave one another a quick fist bump as Max threw her arm around Jenny before flipping off the camera. Jenny threw an El Diablo hand gesture in the air. 

Connie didn’t mind the touch, it was nothing more than a friendly gesture and she hoped that the picture hadn’t completely picked up on the fact that he had been holding her so closely. 

“Oh! I think that was a good one!” Max grinned as she sprung over to her phone to check to see how the picture came out. 

Connie glanced back and smiled at Steven as he gently removed his hand, realising that he had touched her without permission. It had become such a natural occurrence throughout the night. 

When they all went back to the hotel to sleep the second night it wasn’t quite so crazy as it had been before. This time, they all went back to their designated rooms. Buck with Sour Cream. Steven with Jenny and Max with Connie. It certainly wasn’t a bad thing, but it didn’t help that Connie and Steven had spent a few hours after they had claimed to have been sleeping texting about anything and everything. 

After hours of blue light emitting from their phones they had finally decided to get some rest, both knowing that they would have to drive to Denver the day after. 

In the morning, Max and Connie met briefly with the band. They weren’t quite sure if they would have seen them again until after the show at Denver, so quickly said their goodbyes. Steven stood behind them all, specifically waving at Connie and mouthing ‘I’ll see you soon’. As much as she was sad that they wouldn’t have spent the next two days together, she knew that they would have to travel. 

Plus, Max and Connie still had nerdy museums to attend to and she wasn’t quite sure that was something that the rest of the band would have been interested in. 

They had two days to get from L.A. to Denver and they knew they would have to spend the whole time travelling where they could. It was going to take them fifteen hours to get across the states and part of them knew they should have left sooner. Either way, they would be taking the journey separately. 

After being so intimate with Steven it seemed to have been a shock to her system to have not crossed paths with him for two days. The two days between L.A. and Denver had been spent mostly driving and sleeping in cheap motel rooms. 

The band had naturally stopped off in Las Vegas for a while and were sad to discover that Max and Connie were a couple of hours away, having driven a lot more throughout the day. 

Either way, it was a good time for Max and Connie to spend time together in the car listening to all kinds of music. It was an incredibly long drive and Connie had gotten sick of driving by the third hour of the first day. She took it in turns with Max to make sure they cleared as many hours as possible each day without getting sick and tired of being on the road. 

When they finally showed up in Denver they didn’t even see the band again until they were on the stage in front of them. Steven quickly scanned the audience for them both, Connie having been the only thing on his mind for the past couple of days. 

She looked up at the stage and watched him play just like all of the previous nights she had heard all of the same songs and the same setlist. However, this time felt incredibly different. 

She felt as if she truly knew the person behind the voice. All she could imagine was the sexy slurs and the calloused fingers that slid so well up and down the guitar touching her body everywhere usually hidden by clothing. 

The crowd screamed at his talent, so excited to cheer him on and be there for him no matter what.

The man wiped the sweat from his brow and looked up in the audience, suddenly meeting eyes with Connie. 

She smiled at him, watching as he brushed his fingers through his hair. 

He smiled back. 

_So much love for @SwordMahes for their beautiful Star Destroyers group photo. <3 SQUAD SQUAD SQUAD! _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love everyone reading this story. Just thought I'd let you know. 
> 
> If you want to come to hang out on my server for SU fanfiction then feel free. I'd love to see you there! Let's talk Star Destroyers and beyond! 
> 
> https://discord.gg/nCBC3tF


	13. Omaha, NE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's still a lot of awkwardness in the air...
> 
> Connie gets introduced to one of Steven's friends.

“Woah, this one is so...cool.” Sour Cream pointed up to the black and white quilted blanket hanging from the ceiling in such a way to present its beauty. 

“Whose idea was it to go here?” Jenny leant over to Max and whispered loud enough for everyone else to hear. 

“Who the hell  _ wouldn’t _ want to go to a quilt museum?” Max shrugged as she glanced over to Jenny with a small pout. 

Nobody wanted to go to a quilt museum and yet there they all were - in the International Museum of Quilts. A worldwide selection of quilts from a vast amount of cultures. 

It was most certainly a suggestion from Max. It hadn’t been one that anyone had really taken seriously until they were at the front of the building buying tickets to the most immersive experience of their entire life. 

“I appreciate this.” Buck pointed up to one of the quilts on the wall. A bizarre-looking stitching of a cow that nobody really quite thought looked like a cow - that was just what the sign said. 

Steven and Connie stood by one another behind everyone else. Connie was in a weird headspace - the quilts weren’t helping. As much as she was enjoying being with everyone there were still so many things that had happened over the last couple of days that trying to merge what she had done and what she was currently doing within her mind was becoming a difficult task. 

The feeling was starting to sink in. She had slept with Steven Universe and everything felt...strange. 

It had been the first time that Max and Connie had hung out with the band since the evening of the Denver show. Of course, everything had been a little bit different after L.A. A lot different. 

Neither Connie nor Steven wanted to be awkward around one another. They were trying their hardest to break through that barrier and that was just a conversation that they knew they would have to have with one another. A conversation that they thought they had already been through once before and yet things didn’t seem to be getting any less difficult. 

“It was definitely Max who suggested this.” Connie sighed as she held tightly onto a bottle of water. 

Steven stood beside her with his hands in the pockets of his black denim jacket, rocking slowly on his heels as he dramatically glanced around the room at all of the quilts that were both on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. 

“I thought you liked museums.” 

“Yeah, I do.”

“So, what’s wrong with this one?” 

“When I say I like museums, I’m talking about museums that extensively express the ins and outs of culture and history.” Connie folded over her arms and looked around the museum, not seeing much that she was interested in. 

“This is culture and history - right?” 

“Yeah...but they’re quilts.” 

“Oh.” Steven was confused, but he was happy to have tagged along for the trip. 

It hadn’t been too awkward between the both of them since the events in L.A. What had happened was something that neither of them had quite expected and yet there they were. They were beginning to come to terms with what had happened. It was taking time, but they both knew they would have a long time in one another’s company. They needed to make sure everything was fine. 

Steven was desperate to speak to Connie about the events of the party. Sure, they had brief conversations with one another, but there was nothing that mentioned what they had done. 

“Onto the next!” Max steered practically everyone into the next room, a little too enthusiastic about the quilts. Max was internally crying at how boring the museum truly was. She knew that she had suggested it as a joke and for some reason, everyone seemed to have gone along with it. She had to make sure she was playing along. 

Connie didn’t even bother to make it through to the next room to follow Max, slumping herself down on one of the benches and looking around at the exhibits in front of her. They were just as boring sitting down as they were standing up. It annoyed Connie how culturally interesting everything in the museum was, but for some reason, she couldn’t get over the barrier of them being attached to quilts that excelled her boredom into something near tolerable. 

“Do you want to go and see the quilts in the other room?” Steven asked the question, seeing quite how bored Connie was in the museum. It didn’t seem like the sort of thing that would have made Connie bored, but it certainly wasn’t holding her interest today. 

“Can I say no?” Connie laughed as she looked up at Steven. He kept his hands inside his jacket pocket as he shrugged and sat down beside her. He was also a firm believer in the museum being just as boring sitting down as it was standing up. 

“Sure. Just don’t say it too loudly - the quilts might hear.” Steven whispered with a small wink, causing Connie to have reacted with a small smirk. 

“You’re right. I wouldn’t want to hurt their feelings.” Connie chuckled. Steven was always so silly with his words. 

They sat beside one another as the moment passed by. After spending the night so intimately, it felt strange to Steven to have still been in contact with the person he had slept with. In fact, he wanted to be with her more than ever. 

Steven desperately wanted to shout and tell her how much he appreciated her and the amount of love that she had given him, but he decided against it. He thought it would have sounded weird. 

Connie, on the other hand, was still torn about the whole scenario. Although she had wanted nothing more than to have slept with the lead singer of the band, she had just lost her virginity to a man that she was convinced that she barely knew. Although, she did know him. She knew him more than any other guy that she had been with, despite only being around him for just over two weeks. 

It wasn’t as if she had been with many other guys, unlike Steven and his vast amount of ‘experience’ with other women. 

He had no experience in this though. He had no experience in what came with blushing over a partner. Allowing him to stay until the morning after. Cuddling. Kissing. Holding hands. This was so much different to what he was used to and every second of the day his heart ached for more. He craved the feeling of the connection that he had made with Connie. 

“Are you okay?” Steven looked around the room in the museum before focusing his attention back onto Connie. He held his hands on his knees and tapped his fingers against the holes in his jeans. 

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Connie gave Steven a smile. He wasn’t quite convinced it was genuine, but he wasn’t able to tell. Steven didn’t know how to respond, he didn’t want to make things any more awkward between them both. 

“Well, you’ve been kind of quiet since L.A. and I’m wor-”

“It’s okay.” 

“You can tell me if it isn’t.” Steven bit his lip, as much as he didn’t want Connie to turn around and express her true feelings about the scenario, he was also worried about her not being comfortable with what had happened. 

Connie held the water bottle between her legs, casually flicking the top open with her thumb and then closing it repeatedly. It was the only satisfaction she had away from the spot she had been put on. 

“I feel weird.” 

“Oh.” Steven suddenly felt his chest tighten. 

“Not-it’s not a bad feeling. It’s just...new.” Connie wasn’t sure what she was trying to say, either way, she was struggling to find the right words to say without breaking Steven. 

“Is ‘new’ bad?” Steven’s expression dropped as he began to nervously play with his hands. He really liked Connie and he was terrified of the rejection that came with just about any of his so-called romantic interactions. As much as he didn’t want to be rejected in the past, a rejection from Connie would have a huge blow to his psychological health. 

“No, not at all. I’ve never been with a guy before. Well, not like-” Connie blushed, cutting herself off. Steven suddenly realised the point that she was trying to get across, noticing how much he could relate to her words. 

“It’s okay. I get it - it’s new. It’s new for me too.” Steven looked over at Connie with a smile creeping up his lips. Of course, it was new for Steven too, he had never felt the way he felt with Connie with anyone else before.

Connie wasn’t sure how much she believed Steven when it came to his pursuits. Everything that she knew about him and how skilled he had been the previous nights all pointed to something incredibly different. Connie knew this wasn’t new territory for Steven - except it was. 

“Don’t you think we’re moving a little fast?” Connie continued to play with the water bottle as she glanced over at Steven, concern in her eyes. 

Steven didn’t think they were moving too fast. This was the slowest relationship he had ever had with anyone in his entire life. Usually, sex would have been the first thing that happened and  _ then _ the emotional bonding. It never usually got to the second part. 

“I’m not really good with this stuff. I’m sorry.” Steven felt nervous, he didn’t want Connie to feel as if he was pushing her. That was never his intention. 

“Oh no, it’s not you. I’m just not used to this. I have no idea what I’m doing...” Connie chuckled lightly, placing her hand gently on his arm without hesitation. It wasn’t just Steven that had been taking things a little bit quicker than they thought they would have. Connie was a part of this too. 

“Me neither. Isn’t that part of the fun though?” Steven smirked, getting back the happy expression that he always seemed to get when Connie was around. 

“I guess? I’m really not sure.” 

“Well, maybe we could figure it out together?” Steven suggested, keeping an eye on Connie’s hand that she had placed on his arm. It felt so natural being there and he certainly didn’t want her to let go. It was like when they held hands in Austin - it had felt so natural. 

“I feel like such a loser.” Connie blushed as she covered her face slightly so Steven couldn’t see her sudden change in expression. 

Steven was quick to turn on the bench, lifting his leg onto the seat so he could face Connie. He disliked it when she spoke down on herself. It looked as if she was going to cry for some reason and Steven wanted to do everything he could to prevent it. He couldn’t help but feel as if it somehow spiralled down to being his fault. 

“What makes you think that? I don’t think you’re a loser! Why would you say that?” Steven panicked, unintentionally returning the favour of placing both his hands on her. One hand covering the top of her own and the other resting gently on her arm. 

“It’s silly.” 

“It’s not silly! You can speak to me about anything. Really.” Steven assured, his warm and comforting presence being one that Connie could have never matched with anyone else in her life. 

Connie looked up at him, feeling a little stupid getting upset so suddenly about something that she no longer had any control over. As much as she liked Steven, she hadn’t quite expected everything to go down as it did within her mind. 

“I just feel so embarrassed about it all.” Connie sighed, trying her hardest to phrase it in a way that didn’t belittle Steven’s feelings.

Steven looked around the room, making sure that nobody else was in their vicinity to hear what he had to say. 

“About the... _ sex _ ?” Steven whispered, only causing Connie to blush further. 

“A little.” 

“We don’t have to do that ever again if it made you feel uncomfortable. I don’t want you to think that I’m hanging around so we can have sex. I mean, I  _ do _ want to have sex with you again - someday. Well, if you wanted to. Maybe. Oh, I'm terrible at this. I'm so sorry. J-just, that’s not why I want to hang out.” Steven felt his words were falling short. “I’m sorry that happened a little...quick. I want to spend more time with you - like we did in Austin!”

Connie could feel his thumb brushing gently against the top of her hand as he sat on the bench beside her. She smiled at the memory of their time together before things started to get a little bit more complicated. Holding hands, kissing and eating ice cream was all part of their time in Austin and she had savoured the memory unlike anything else before it. 

“I’d like that.” Connie smirked, glancing back down at his hand on hers. She flipped her hand over so they could be palm to palm. Steven smiled at her as he held her hand at an awkward angle. 

The way that Steven smiled and the way that his eyes lit up whenever he saw her made Connie feel incredibly special. It was so nice to have someone to look at her the way that Steven did. Even when they had sex he had made sure that she was comfortable and reassured her with how beautiful she truly was. She had never been a fan of her body and yet Steven had given her newfound confidence in it that she had never even considered before. She was thankful for his view on the matter. 

She was more than excited to have been able to spend some more time with Steven before the tour was over. It wasn’t long before all of the shows would have been wrapped up and Connie would have travelled back home to spend the remainder of her summer with her parents before going back to college for her last year. She was interested to know what her parents would have thought of the quilt museum that they were currently in. It was certainly something different, but history regardless. 

As much as Steven wanted to kiss Connie as she sat on the bench and looked back at him with a smirk he knew he couldn’t make his move when the band and Max were in the room over, ready to catch them at any moment. 

“Are you guys coming?” A voice sounded on their way out from the other room. 

Steven immediately sprung into a sitting position, taking his hands away from Connie as he balanced them back on his knees and swallowed his nerves. Connie sat in silence, placing both her hands back onto the water bottle as Jenny stepped in from the other room and exchanged glances between them both. 

“If you say anything about sleeping birds again, I will never forgive you.” Connie whispered out the side of her mouth as Jenny approached. 

“Got it.” Steven whispered back in confirmation. 

“Y’all are missing out on the quilts, come on!” Jenny groaned as she gestured for them both to join the rest of the band on their pursuit for looking at more quilts. 

Steven and Connie smiled at one another before standing up and following Jenny. They both wanted to hold each other’s hands, but instead, they knew they would spend the day smirking at one another and making sure they stuck in one another’s presence. 

They loved being around each other and that was clearly reflected in the amount of time they kept close. Everyone noticed how close they had gotten throughout the tour, despite Max and the band trying not to comment too much on it unless it was just them being playful. They were going to try and never admit that they knew that something was going on unless they were confronted on the subject. 

The band continued to parade around the museum of quilts, Steven and Connie somewhat satisfied with the conversation that they had with one another. 

Connie was pleased with the idea that Steven wanted them to hang out some more. That meant getting to spend some more time with him before the tour was over and although the days seemed to pass by incredibly quickly, every second counted. Connie was having a good time. There was one other thing that he had said that stuck to her mind like glue. 

He had mentioned that he wanted to have sex with her again. Sure, that was something that he wanted to do, but it wasn’t something that defined their relationship. It was simply an added bonus. 

He was attracted to her. Mentally and physically. It filled Connie with a confidence that she didn’t quite know had been within her this whole time. Where was it when she needed it in the past? The times she had been with guys in college in the past. There were so many opportunities in which if she was just a little bit more confident she could have experienced her first time a little bit sooner and not inside of a recording studio.

Yikes. 

Although, now that it had happened she wouldn’t have ever attempted to remove that memory. It was one that was going to be with her regardless. The sort of sex she had participated in was the kind of thing that she thought about late at night, not something that she ever would have believed to have happened in reality.

The second time? The most intimate experience of her entire life. They didn’t have sex - they had made  _ love _ . That was different in itself and Connie had valued their time together greatly. 

Steven had valued it more. He had never ‘made love’ to anyone before in his entire life and the experience had been one he wouldn’t have ever been able to forget. Sure, he had sex plenty of times in the past, but none of them had been romantic. Everyone was there to get the job done and then leave. He had never shared that level of intimacy with someone before. 

It felt as if he had allowed Connie to see inside of his soul. He was once a useless and empty shell of a man and yet at that moment, he had felt complete. He was complete with her. 

At least, that’s how he felt. That’s how he had felt the night that he had to stand up on the stage and look down on the crowd. It was a small venue that they had chosen to play in, or at least what Greg had booked for them. 

Steven stood in front of the crowd for the thirteenth time throughout the tour, everything continued to be so natural for him. Everything from the lyrics that he shouted to the fluid movements he performed on stage. The band were professionals and they didn’t have a shadow of doubt about their ability to perform. 

However, on that night as he turned to look at the side of the stage he saw a familiar face that he certainly hadn’t expected to see. He had to double-take, hoping that nobody in the crowd saw the shock in his expression as he turned. 

There stood on the side of the stage was the one and only Sadie Miller. 

She lifted her hand and waved towards the band, keeping herself hidden behind the stage. Steven smiled at her before nodding, he was impressed that she had shown up to one of their shows. He didn’t think she would have had the time with everything that was going on. The rest of the band had already noticed their old friend at the side of the stage, having already made eye contact with her accompanied by a few smiles and waves. 

None of them could wait to get off the stage to see her. It had been far too long. 

After everything that had been happening on their travels, it would have been great to have been able to relate back to someone who was familiar with touring. 

Steven looked back at the crowd, getting ready to start the next song as he pressed his foot against the pedal to change the tone. He noticed Max in the crowd holding her hand above her head to get his attention, Steven nodded back at her in confirmation that he had seen her support. Max threw him some finger guns in response. 

He scanned the crowd for Connie, only assuming that she would have been at the back of the venue somewhere. It would have been unlikely that she wasn’t there considering she had a track record for showing up for the band that she wasn’t too keen on. She must have known every lyric by now. 

It was nice to have had a conversation with her regarding what had happened back in L.A., he didn’t want it to have been awkward. He really liked her and the last thing he wanted was to mess up. It was the one fear that continued to run through his mind day in and day out. Aside from an old friend standing on the side of the stage, it was also something that he continued to think about as he played the guitar without really concentrating. It wasn’t as if he needed to, everything came so naturally to him. 

When the crowd had cheered for the final time, the band were more than excited to go to the side of the stage and see why Sadie Miller was at their show. Although she was one of their old friends, it certainly wasn’t as if they had expected to see her on tour. In Nebraska of all the places! 

“Sadie!” Steven waved his hands above his head before practically swinging his arms around her and picking her up. Sadie couldn’t help but laugh as she returned the warm welcome, swinging her legs out in slight desperation to have been put back down. 

“Woah, Steven! It’s so great to see you all!” Sadie continued to chuckle at her welcoming party as the whole band began to crowd around her, excited to have been in her presence for the first time in a while. 

“It’s been ages!” Jenny groaned, hugging Sadie as a greeting. 

“Too long.” Buck shook his head with a smile before fist-bumping Sadie, Sour Cream copying the action. 

“Yeah, man. Aren’t you like...playing arenas now?” Sour Cream cocked an eyebrow at the thought. 

“Oh, well, I wouldn’t say  _ arenas. _ We sold out a five thousand cap the other night in Gainesville, that was crazy!” Sadie blushed as she spoke, a little bit embarrassed by the fame that she had received over the years. 

“Five thousand capacity? And you’re here - watching  _ us _ ?” Jenny huffed. 

“I saw you guys were playing a show out here and as we were passing through I couldn’t miss the opportunity. You guys rock! Do you even hear yourselves? You’re all so awesome!” Sadie gushed over the band that she once knew well. 

It was a long time ago since they had all been together making music.  _ Sadie Killer and the Suspects _ was a band created by Sadie, Jenny, Buck and Sour Cream when they were all back in high school. They had made a pretty good team and they had managed to win their high school battle of the bands three years in a row. They were good - perhaps a little too good. 

Although they had a good thing going on with the band, Sadie wanted to take things in another direction. They were happy to part ways and each of them continued to pursue music. 

As both Steven and Sour Cream had known one another since they were younger due to their parents being somewhat family friends, Steven had gotten to know the band and Sadie. They spent a lot of time together when Steven was a teenager, watching them perform. He had even stood in for a few performances, gaining his love for performing on a stage. 

“Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” A bellowing voice sounded over the speakers playing a pop song completely unrelated to the music that had just played. 

“Oh, nothing! I know these guys.” Max shouted back, a security guard gripping onto the back of the flannel that was wrapped around her waist, attempting to pull her off the stage. Her leg was in the air as she was already in the process of lifting herself up to join them. 

“That’s what they all say.” The security guard groaned as he yanked her off the stage. Max stood in front of him and folded over her arms, looking straight at him and shaking her head. 

“You are making a grave mistake,  _ Pal _ .” 

“Was that a threat?”

“N-no. More of a...friendly reminder? Like when Boogle Calendar reminds you that you’re well over the age of forty and are yet to have that vital prostate exam. We  _ all know _ it’s embarrassing, but it’s for your own good.” Max chuckled nervously as she scratched the back of her neck, internally praying that the band would turn around and see her struggling with security. 

“Go on, the show’s over. Get out of here before I drag you out.” 

“So, you  _ did _ get that prostate exam - huh? Traditionally they use a finger, but it seems like you still have the gigantic stick they used stuck up your ass.” Max snorted, pushing her luck as the security guard’s expression dropped. 

“Right, that’s it.” 

“Max! What’s going on?” Connie walked over to defuse the situation. Once again it was up to Connie to step in. She had been at the back of the venue throughout the night, as per usual. It was only when the venue began to clear that she had managed to make her way back to the front to look for Max. 

“Oh, this dickcheese here won’t let me see our  _ friends _ .” Max pointed behind her to the security guard who was holding onto the back of her t-shirt, more than prepared to kick her out of the venue. 

“This your friend?” The security guard cocked an eyebrow towards Connie, holding Max in front of him. He was a tall man with a broad build, his authority shown through a fluorescent vest and earpiece. 

“Um...yes?” Connie gritted her teeth together. 

“Please, Concon - free me from his death grip. I don’t want to have to release my powers from within.  _ Hadouken! _ ” Max threw her hands out in front of her. 

“Don’t mind her, she’s - her internal filter is a little bit...different.” Connie didn’t quite know what to say as the security guard let go of Max causing her to stumble forward. Max continued to stand there as if she was being held hostage before turning around towards the guard and responding to Connie’s comment. 

“I am very drunk and when I'm drunk I don't have control over what comes out my mouth. Mind you, I don't really have much control anyway. Huh. I probably shouldn't drink. Anyway, what’s your excuse,  _ my dude _ ?” 

“Uh, she means-” Connie grabbed ahold of Max’s arm before gently tugging her, attempting to defuse the situation. Now Connie too was completely okay with the idea of the band stepping on. 

“My filter is broken. If I were a fish tank - the fish would be dead. Fish go _ brrrrr _ .” Max closed her eyes as she rolled her r’s and held her hands out in front of her. 

“I am so sorry, Sir. We just want to get to our friends on stage. We’re with the band.” Connie apologised before saying a phrase that she still wasn’t quite sure if it rolled off her tongue quite as well as she wanted it to. She wasn’t going to let Max out of her sight, it seemed as if she had a little bit too much to drink.

“Come on - it’s time to leave.” The security guard completely ignored Connie’s request, one that he had heard a million times from people wanting to get close to the bands. It was a security risk for sure. 

“We’re V.I.G’s.  _ Very Important Groupies _ !” 

“Max, no!” Connie scowled, suddenly sweating nervously. “W-we’re not groupies. We’re just fans.” She assured the security who was more than confused with the two women. Connie thought about her comment - would she have been a groupie now? 

She shook the thought from her head. 

Connie wasn’t quite ready to leave the venue, they had already planned to meet up with the band afterwards. It was strange that Steven hadn’t come down off the stage and either spoken to fans or greeted her or Max as he had done in the past. None of the other members came down either. 

Just as bad thoughts began to run through her mind at things that could have possibly happened to any of them she noticed the back of Steven’s pink shirt just past the side of the stage. She dragged Max slightly to the left to get a better look to confirm her suspicions. The security guard watched them carefully. 

“Steven! Steven!” Connie shouted to the best of her abilities to get his attention, but to no avail. 

“Steven Universe!” Max screeched to get his attention. This time, they were successful. 

Steven stepped back to get a better look at whoever it was that was shouting his name. By the side of the stage stood Connie, Max and a grumpy looking security guard. His face lit up as soon as he saw them, practically jogging to the edge of the stage. 

“What are you guys doing? Come on! There’s someone I want you both to meet.” Steven knelt down at the side of the stage and spoke to them both, Connie glancing up with a look of concern. All she wanted to do was to get Max somewhere that wasn’t beside the security guard. 

“Cool. New friends.” Max slurred. 

“Do we just...come up?” Connie questioned, looking at the stage that she most certainly would have made an ass out of herself if she were to climb. 

“Yeah, sure. Come on!” Steven held out his hand, ready to hoist both of them up onto the stage. Sure, they could have taken the steps around the side of the stage - but that would have been too easy. It also meant that Steven wouldn’t have been able to offer to hold Connie’s hand, even if just for a split second. 

Max was the first one to reach out her hand for Steven to grab, allowing him to pull her up to the stage. Max immediately turned around and laughed at the security guard who was in the process of shaking his head with disapproval. 

“Suck on those eggs, son! Friends with the band!” Max tittered, pointing down at the man in the fluorescent jacket. 

“I can bring you right back down. Don’t try me.” 

“Max, don’t push it.” Connie scowled, wanting nothing more than to look out for her friend. The last time she had been kicked out of a venue they had met the band. They didn’t need to do that again, they were already rather close to them. 

Steven reached down and held out his hand for Connie to hold onto. She didn’t hesitate to grab on, feeling his warm hand in her grip once again. Steven pulled her up onto the stage and held her a little closer than he had done with Max. It wasn’t a mistake.

“Thank you,  _ Mister Security _ .” Steven nodded down at the man, still holding onto Connie’s hand. 

“Thank you!”

Steven and Connie stood for a moment as the security guard dismissed himself. There wasn’t much he could have done. They were probably just groupies that had gotten a little bit too close to the band. He respected that. 

“Here, come on! There really is someone I want you to meet. You’re going to love her!” Steven grinned, suddenly keeping hold of Connie’s hand as he practically dragged her across the stage with excitement. Max had already disappeared into the void that was backstage. 

Connie didn’t question being led by Steven, happy enough to have followed as she held onto his hand. It felt nice to have been close to him once again. They needed that connection, or at least - Connie had been craving it. They couldn’t have just slept together and then not reiterated their relationship. Connie couldn’t stop thinking about it. About him. 

“Really? Okay!” Connie took his word for it as they stood to the side of the stage. 

Connie’s jaw dropped immediately as soon as she saw who had been waiting backstage the entire time. 

“So, this is Connie and that’s Max. They’re both following us on tour and it’s super cool!” Steven grinned, excited to have been showing Sadie what seemed to have been two of their biggest fans. 

“Sadie Miller!” Connie practically gasped.

“Wow, it’s really nice to meet you both! Following a band? That takes quite the dedication.” Sadie grinned, just as much excited to have met the two as they were to have met her. Well, one of them was excited to meet her. 

“Um, I don’t think you understand. I have every single one of your albums saved on my phone. I always play through them when I’m studying, you and Shep make such a great duo! I can’t tell you how many times those albums have seen me through the night. I love everything that you’ve created-” Connie began, a little bit shocked that she was in front of Sadie Miller, the current pop-folk sensation that appeared in pretty much every TubeTube music recommendation. 

Max stood off to the side and squinted, trying her hardest to figure out who the person Connie was swooning over was. 

“Whomst the fucketh is that?” Max whispered to the side of her mouth over at Steven who only glanced over at her in slight shock. 

“You should probably ask Connie.” Steven gestured towards Connie who was still in the process of swooning over the musician.

“What’s she doing?” 

“Freaking out the same way you did when you first met us.” Jenny smirked as she butted in on the conversation. 

“I did not!” Max defended herself. 

“ _ Star Destroyers are my favourite band! _ ” Jenny mocked as she did a poor impression of Max. 

“Okay, that’s pretty accurate.” 

Connie was standing in front of Sadie, a little bit lost for words that she had gotten to meet her. Was Steven friends with many famous people? Of course he was, his mother was one of the biggest pop stars of the last generation. He must have had an abundance of famous contacts. 

“Aw, that’s super sweet. I’m so glad that Shep and I could help out with studying. I know that feeling.” Sadie placed her hands on her hips and grinned, it was nice to have spoken to Connie. 

Connie glanced back around and noticed that the band had been watching her freak out about the musician for the past couple of minutes. A part of her felt bad by knowing Sadie’s music and not any of Star Destroyers. Well, she knew a few songs now after hearing them every single night for the past few weeks. 

“Someone’s a fan!” Jenny folded her arms and cocked an eyebrow as she stared over at Connie with a smirk. Connie held onto her arm, turning a little red with embarrassment.

“Well, Sadie and Shep are really good!” Connie tried her hardest to prevent a small grin from creeping up her lips. It was to no avail as she smiled, a little bit too excited with seeing the musician. 

It was hard for her to think of Steven as someone who was friends with people who were as famous as Sadie Miller. Although, it never quite crossed her mind as often as it should have. Steven was the son of Rose Quartz - an incredibly famous pop singer. It blew Connie’s mind whenever she thought about it and yet it never seemed to have any impact on their relationship. 

Admittedly, Connie had thought that people who had any kind of fame within their lives were nothing but assholes. How wrong was she? Steven was far from the word and she had never even seen him in that light before despite adoring fans shouting his name every night. He wasn’t a famous asshole from television, he tried his hardest to stay out of the immediate spotlight as much as possible. As much as he loved the fans of his emo band, it was a very niche genre and he knew he would never be as famous as his mother or as famous as Sadie. That was the plan. 

“We should probably stop touring around the same time, it makes it hard for us to go to each other’s shows!” Sadie placed her hands on her hips before chuckling slightly, looking up at each of her old friends. 

“You managed to come and see us.” Buck smiled. 

“Free night. Couldn’t miss you guys!” 

“You’re too sweet, Sadie! We’re all going to have to come and catch one of your shows soon.” Jenny stepped over to Sadie and threw her arm around her, excited to have been in the presence of an old friend. 

“We’ll start a mosh pit!” Sour Cream put his hands in the air. 

“Um, we totally don’t play the same kind of crowd anymore.” Sadie laughed uncomfortably, her music not quite so catering to the emo scene and leaning more towards the folk side of things. It wasn’t as if she saw many mosh pits at her shows anymore. 

Connie very much loved Sadie’s music, it was certainly a lot calmer than whatever it was what Steven and the rest of his band played day after day. Connie couldn’t have studied to Star Destroyer’s music - or at least she had never tried to do so. She was certainly going to have to give it a go when she got back to college in the new year. 

Jenny suggested that they went to a bar with Sadie as a way of catching up. Nobody denied the idea, in fact - they were all incredibly accepting of it. Connie was just happy that she was getting to spend time with Max, the band, Sadie Miller and Steven. It was an overwhelming amount of people she had vast respect for. 

“You didn’t tell me you knew Sadie Miller.” Connie whispered up towards Steven as they walked across the street to the bar that was still open until the early hours of the morning, the venue shutting not long after their show. 

“Oh, she’s a good friend of ours. The guys used to be in a band with her in high school, I was a dumb teenager that liked to tag along.” Steven snorted as he kept his hands in his pockets, watching everyone walk in front of them. Max was acquainting herself with the new person within their group. Another musician? Max was interested to know more after checking their profile on a music streaming service. They had a lot more listens than Star Destroyers. 

“That’s...really cool.” Connie bit her lip. She always seemed to forget just how famous Steven Universe was. Of course, he tried his hardest to stay out of the spotlight. That didn’t mean that people didn’t recognise him, bother him in supermarkets or even just talk about him in general conversation as they scanned up and down his Wikipedia page. Max and Connie were both guilty of the latter. 

“I can always ask if she’s got any spare tickets for you and Max once our tour is over. You seem to be a pretty big fan.” Steven smiled across at Connie. 

“N-no, I couldn’t.” Connie didn’t want to take advantage of having a friend in a high place. She hadn’t gotten close to Steven for the benefits of his fame. She hadn’t even considered any of that in the slightest. 

“Okay, well, if you change your mind let me know. I’m sure Sadie would be happy to help out. She’s super nice.” Steven grinned, Sadie would have happily have given Steven two tickets, or even three tickets if he wanted to tag along with them both. 

Connie didn’t doubt Steven in the slightest. Sadie did seem incredibly nice. 

It felt weird knowing that only a couple of days ago she had woken up in a bed next to Steven Universe. They didn’t want things to be different between them, but the thoughts kept popping into her head that reminded her of the time that they had shared together. That wasn’t a bad thing though and they had certainly had a fantastic time. They had even come to an agreement that things had been moving a little too fast - at least for Connie. 

Neither of them quite had any prior experience when it came to this kind of relationship. What were they supposed to do? How were they supposed to act? There was no answer that they could have concluded that would have made things any less difficult for them both internally. 

There was one thing that was certain - they liked one another. In ways that they had never liked anyone before. It was a whole new experience. 

It was nice to have been able to hang out in a bar with everyone. It had passed the halfway mark of the tour back in L.A. and going on the tour had been something that none of them would ever have taken for granted. Especially Max and Connie. 

They all sat with one another inside of a booth that was at the bar, smiling faces all around. Connie had never been part of a friendship group before and this was the closest she had ever gotten to one. It felt nice to have been included in the conversation and to have felt as if she had been friends with them for the better part of her entire life. 

Steven occasionally nudged her to make sure that she was doing okay, mostly with a tap of his knee against her leg under the table or a little shoulder bump. He was doing his best to make sure that they stayed connected, the last thing he wanted was for what happened in Los Angeles to have been the last time that they did anything with one another. Steven craved wanting to spend more time with her. 

It felt strange to Connie knowing that the people around her held so much more popularity. People in the bar that had served them had recognised Sadie straight away and in turn, noticed Steven and the rest of the band. It was interesting for Connie to have watched the interactions that Steven and the others had to deal with. It would never have been something that she would have to experience for herself. 

The word ‘famous’ felt wrong, but people certainly knew who they were. As someone who listened to Sadie blast through her speakers whenever she found herself buried inside of a textbook, it felt weird to have her sat in front of her telling them all about a story in which her and Shep had found a stray cat on the tour that needed rescuing. 

They were people. Just normal people like everyone else. When they weren’t on the stage they held so much more substance and understanding. They weren’t just voices in songs or online presences. They were human. 

When you didn’t live in their world it was hard to see that, Connie understood why Steven had so many feelings on the matter. The frustration that he would never have been able to escape from. The frustration that he couldn’t quite share with anyone apart from the people that sat around him inside of the booth. 

Sadie didn’t stick around long, but it certainly gave Connie an insight into the life that was lead outside of a recording booth. It gave an insight as to how Steven felt as a person who was somewhat in the spotlight. 

She couldn’t have quite imagined what that would have felt like. 

Either way, she appreciated being able to have met one of her favourite musicians and it certainly was cool to have been able to hang out with them. 

Not as artist and fan. 

As friends. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Was this a filler? 
> 
> Yes.


	14. Des Moines, IA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max and Connie go to the zoo and have a well-needed conversation. 
> 
> Steven flexes his skills in an arcade.

After being on the road together for so long, it was about time that Max and Connie spent some time together. The road trip was originally going to have been a plan of both a historical journey and a tour that included seeing an emo band nearly every single night. Max and Connie had both made a deal out of it. 

It wasn’t a very long drive between Omaha and Des Moines. In fact, the drive had been so short in comparison to the amount of travelling that they had been doing it seemed as if it was some kind of elaborate joke. There was no way that they would have been able to have spent near enough the whole day hanging out before going to the show in the evening. 

It wasn’t as if they hadn’t spent time together on the trip before. They spent every single day together in the car, however, their conversations were often lacking clarity and the same kind of concentration that came from hanging out in museums or buying food with one another. 

Max had always been someone that Connie could rely on no matter what. A part of her felt somewhat guilty that she hadn’t spoken to Max about everything that had happened on tour when she wasn’t in the vicinity. Max had been having far too much fun with the rest of the band that it was pretty hard to get her to come away for a couple of minutes and escape from whatever chaos they were causing. 

It was hard Max to have to struggle day in and day out placing herself in the position of trying to make sure it looked as if she wore her mask well. Underneath the facade she wore, Max was incredibly anxious. Using her mask of confidence to make sure she looked a lot better than she truly was at social interaction.

Connie appreciated everything that Max had done for her over the years. They looked out for one another and that was one of the biggest parts of why their relationship worked so well. They were different in lots of ways, yet deep down they could relate to one another on a personal level that nobody else could quite reach. 

When they had first met, Max had been incredibly energetic and didn’t quite seem like the sort of person that Connie was going to get along with. She had to get along with her - they were going to have been sharing a communal area in her dorm building for the years that they were in college. They had to make sure that they got along otherwise Connie’s college experience wouldn’t have been quite as fun as she had first thought it would have been. 

It didn’t take Connie very long to warm up to Max, within the first day of meeting they had already made one another laugh more than once. It had gotten to a point where they were laughing so hard with one another that they couldn’t quite breathe. It had been such a long time that Connie had felt that. 

It was then that Connie knew she would have been friends with Max for as long as time allowed. 

“I can’t believe we haven’t been to a zoo yet. Feels like we’ve been just about everywhere else.” Max held onto the straps of her backpack as they walked through the concrete grounds of the crowded zoo. It was certainly a hot spot for tourists. 

“The band probably would have liked to come…” Connie sighed, feeling a little bit bad that they had left everyone out. They had gotten so used to the band tagging along that it was starting to feel weird without them. 

“Even if they did - I wouldn’t let them come.”

“How come?”

“This is Max and ConCon day, remember?” Max pushed Connie in her shoulder slightly making her laugh at the touch. It was great to have been hanging out with Max. “Besides, we’ll see them at the show later.” 

“Time to have  _ Max _ -imum fun.” Connie brushed her shoulder where Max had pushed her. 

“Hey, it’s only funny when I say it.”

“But you didn’t say it.” 

“Shut up. Look at those red pandas - aren’t they cute? They’re like little red cats.” Max removed one hand from her backpack and pointed up towards the small creatures that were sitting in the trees opposite them, dipping in and out of a slumber. A large metal cage capturing them. 

Connie had mixed feelings about zoos. Mostly political opinions about the welfare of the animals. Most zoos were serious in protecting animals and Connie was all for them existing. Other zoos treated animals poorly and that sickened her. Animals deserved to have been free, not stuck in a cage for the entirety of their life. 

“They’re not like cats at all.” Connie snorted. 

“Do you think they would notice if I took one back to our dorm?”

“ _ I  _ would notice!” 

“Yeah, but that’s fine. Why wouldn't you want a red panda as a pet?” 

“It would probably rip your face off.” 

“Y’know what? Worth it.” Max grinned, still pondering on the idea as to how she could kidnap one of the adorable creatures without anyone noticing. There was probably some way that she could pull it off by the time that they left the park. 

There was so much for them to look at inside the zoo. Neither of them had any problems with spending the whole day hanging out with one another. In fact, it was refreshing to have been able to be themselves without having to put on any kind of front for the band.

They walked around and saw each and every one of the animals that were inside the zoo. It was a fun day. They both needed that release that hanging with the band couldn’t have provided them with. 

Connie had even texted Steven in the morning and told him that her and Max were spending the day together and that she wouldn’t have been texting him throughout the day. Connie wanted to make sure that her full attention was on Max, feeling as if she had been neglecting her best friend duties when all she could really think about was Steven. 

“This little guy  _ needs _ a home.” Max held up a plushie wolf that was inside the gift shop that they had decided to explore before heading back to a hotel to get ready for the show in the evening. 

“Do you know how overpriced this store is?” Connie huffed, looking around the gift shop that was filled with everything from fridge magnets to novelty beach towels with animal prints. 

“I read on the door that they put ten percent of every sale back into the park’s upkeep.” Max cocked an eyebrow, now holding both of the front legs of the plushie. She wanted nothing more than for the fluffy stuffed wolf to have joined them on the rest of their trip. 

“That’s a lot.” 

“So, we should probably rescue more of them - right?” Max turned towards the display of plushies and began to cradle an armful of them, picking more and more of them up as Connie stared at her with wide eyes. 

“What are you doing?” Connie questioned as she held out both of her hands, urging Max to stop as her body filled with trepidation. She didn’t want to get kicked out of a zoo gift shop. 

“Saving an endangered species.” 

“Of stuffed animals?”

“Connie, how could you say that? Just look at its face!” Max struggled to hold up one of the plushie wolves to Connie’s face. The plushie was somewhat inaccurate for the price point. Connie couldn’t help but stare into its misaligned dead black eyes, causing her to pull an uncomfortable expression.

“Yeah, no.” 

“ _ Connie, please. I do not want to live out the rest of my life in a gift shop. Please buy me, I am very quiet and I will live in the back of the car. My existence is pain, but you and Max will make my life better. Wouldn’t you want that, Connie? _ ” Max spoke in a squeaky voice at the side of her mouth as she moved the stuffed animal in front of Connie’s face once more. 

“Not for-” Connie checked the tags. “Thirty-five dollars?!?!” 

“Oh fuck - really?” Max immediately dropped the plushies back into the pot, still holding onto the one that she was previously voicing and had made a personal bond with. 

“Yikes.” 

Max turned the plushie wolf around and stared into its eyes, the black beads looking back at her with vacancy. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought. She wanted that wolf. 

“I _ love  _ him. I will empty my bank account for this fluffy being. I shall name my new son  _ Stephen Space-Wolf. _ ” Max raised the wolf above her head as a passerby gave her a strange look. 

“What?” Connie’s expression dropped at the name, folding her arms over in the process. 

“Don’t worry, this Stephen is spelt with a ‘ph’.” Max rolled her eyes as she tucked the plushie under her arm. 

Connie knew that Max was taunting her, but it was in a way that she approved of. Connie loved their relationship and the way that they could tease one another. As much as Connie believed she was quick and witty, Max was far faster and she envied her abilities. Connie always beat her when it came to sass though. 

Max swiftly purchased the plushie, refusing to put it in her bag as she happily paraded it around under her arm as they continued to make their way through the park. Connie found it somewhat hilarious that she didn’t quite want to put the small wolf anywhere that wasn’t in her direct sight. She was convinced that Max was going to have taken the thing to the show in the evening.

As it got closer and closer to the time of the next show, Max and Connie found themselves buying an iced coffee each at the cafe that was situated within the park. They had both decided on caramel frappuccinos that were caked with sugar. They both needed the energy after walking around the park all day. Electrolytes or some shit. 

They both sat down together on a bench in the middle of the park, wanting nothing more than to drink their iced coffees and spend the rest of their day together, people-watching amongst the crowds. It was rather entertaining to do so until Connie thought about how much she wanted to check in on Max and make sure that everything was okay. 

Although Max hadn’t been vacant, it felt as if Connie hadn’t quite had the opportunity to reconnect in a while. She didn’t want Max to feel left out of anything that she was feeling and experiencing. They both loved one another regardless. They were best friends!

"How are you finding it? The trip I mean." Connie asked, glancing over to Max who had placed Stephen Space-Wolf between the two of them on the bench as if he was their newly adopted child. 

"Don't you think that sometimes in these Frappuccinos they never break the ice up enough. It sits in the bottom and blocks the straw. Isn’t that stupid?" Max poked the straw to the bottom of the plastic cup, trying her hardest to break up the large blocks of ice that laid dormant. 

"Max?" 

"They put a stupid amount of syrup in to bury their mistakes, but I see them. The stupid mermaid lady coffee shop does the same thing. It’s bullshit. Why can’t they just make the ice smaller?" 

" _ Max? _ "

"Yeah?" 

"Are you okay?"

“No. They need to blend their damn ice more.” Max stared at her drink with frustration. 

“That’s not what I meant. I’m asking if you’re okay, y’know, with the whole trip. You’re having fun - right?” Connie sometimes found it hard to tell if Max was being genuine with her emotions. 

“Connie, I’m having the time of my life. I have never been more satisfied with my existence than I am in this moment right here.” Max smiled as she petted the top of Stephen Space-Wolf’s head. 

“You’re happy hanging with the band all the time, right?” 

“Of course I am! I love them all so much. Jenny is super awesome and just looks out for me all the time, it’s really sweet! Buck is kind of hard to read, but he's so much fun! Sour Cream always has the best suggestions for just about everything. Steven? Well, Steven is...he’s cool. It's Steven Universe!” Max explained each of them, not quite realising how little she knew about Steven. She had felt somewhat embarrassed about interaction with Steven, being as famous as he was she found it a lot easier to interact with the rest of them a little better. Although Steven was incredibly nice, it went without saying that Max still had some kind of anxiety when around him. Although, it seemed as if Connie was the one that mostly spent her time with him. She rarely saw them apart. 

“That’s amazing, Max. I’m so glad you’re having fun.” 

“Wait, you’re having fun too - right?” Max questioned before taking a sip of the iced coffee and looking over at Connie awaiting a solid answer. 

“Yeah! Of course I am! We’ve seen so much and I’ve done so much I’ve never experienced before.” Connie grinned, overly excited to have been sharing the trip with her best friend. It was nice that they would always have the trip to look back on. It had been such a fantastic time together with their new friends. 

“It was a bit scary at first.” 

“What?”

“Meeting the band.” Max admitted with a small smile, Connie immediately feeling some sympathy for Max as she spoke. Despite the band being one of her interests, it was still pretty nerve-racking to have met them all. She wanted to be as perfect as she possibly could be when she was around, despite that - it seemed as if she had won them over regardless. 

“Really?”

“Well, I was just glad I was a little drunk.”

“A  _ little _ ?”

“A  _ lot _ drunk.” Max corrected, shaking her head in the process. 

“It’s okay now though, you guys are all best buds. Isn’t that cool?” Connie took a sip of her own iced coffee, trying not to make a slurping noise as she pulled it through the straw. 

“It’s hella cool. I’m hoping that I’ve made some friends for life, but we’ll see how that goes after the next couple of weeks. I’m really not looking forward to going back home.” Max sighed, pushing the ice in the bottom of her drink. 

“How come? I thought you and your family were super close?” 

“We are. Just...if I go home we won’t be able to hang out!”

“Okay, that’s adorable. However, we’ve lived together for multiple years and we still have a year to go. I’m sure you’ll survive a couple of weeks without me.”

“Will I though?” 

“If my parents weren’t...my parents - I’d bring you back to Beach City with me.” Connie smiled, trying to make Max feel better about the situation. Connie knew how Max usually reacted to change and a switch in routine. For the most part - not well. 

“Dad said you can come and stay whenever you want.” 

“Max, I love you, but I’ve spent more time with you these past couple of months than I have myself.” Connie snorted loudly, Max copied her action.

“Okay, okay, I should probably leave you alone for a while. You’d miss me though.”

“Yeah, I probably would.” Connie smiled. 

They sat there in silence for a moment, the stuffed animal sat between them both with lopsided eyes and grey fluff just about everywhere and anywhere. The perfect plushie wolf. At least, that’s what Max believed. 

Connie had been holding back from telling Max about her and Steven for a reason she simply couldn’t understand. There was so much trust between Max and Connie that it was hard to imagine something going horribly wrong from telling Max about their relationship. It was wrong of Connie for even doubting Max as if she would have ever judged Connie harshly on what choices she had made.

Connie wanted to speak about her time with Steven and how she felt. There was nobody to speak to about what had happened and how she had felt. It was hard for Connie to have even fathomed her feelings when there was nobody to speak to about them. Despite her feeling that way, Max had been there the entire time. Max was always willing to speak about things with Connie and she had been selfish enough to ignore the fact that she could have been speaking about how she felt this whole time without feeling guilty. 

“Hey, Max - can I tell you something?” Connie didn’t bother to look up as she moved the straw around the cup, copying Max’s action of trying to break up the ice at the bottom of the drink. 

“What is it, homeslice?” 

“I haven’t told anyone yet.” 

“I’m listening.” Max assured, making sure to focus all of her attention on Connie. Connie and the iced coffee. 

Connie moved the cup away from her face and balanced it on her leg, finding the right words to speak without Max’s judgement. Either way, there was going to have been some kind of backlash to her words. She knew that they would shock Max to the very core of her being. How was she going to have been able to cope? 

“Well, I’ve been spending a lot of time with Steven recently. We kind of just...end up together a lot.” Connie tucked her hair behind her ear as she spoke, a little bit embarrassed by her speech. 

“Oh yeah,  _ total accident _ .” Max whispered under her breath, Connie not quite hearing her words. 

“He’s really sweet. I don’t think I’ve ever met a guy quite like him before. I think...I think I really like him.” Connie opened her heart out to Max, speaking softly as she spoke so lovingly of Steven. 

“Oh yeah, we all knew that.” Max shrugged before slurping on her iced coffee. 

“What?” Connie gave Max a look of sheer distaste. 

“We just leave you to it because you’re totally into one another. It’s pretty sickening seeing you guys doing subtle little gestures that everyone can see. Oh god, the looks. It’s like you’re both incapable of paying attention to anyone else. I have never seen you pine over someone so bad, ConCon.” Max rolled her eyes with a small smirk, Connie’s jaw becoming slack. 

“So, you all just...know?” Connie could feel her face heating up. It was embarrassing, to say the least. 

“You probably shouldn’t have made it so obvious.” Max winked before sipping on the coffee. 

“Wait, does everyone know we had sex...?” Connie’s eyes widened at the thought. 

Max’s expression dropped before she choked on the drink, aggressively coughing into her arm as Connie watched in horror. 

“What?! Y-you had  _ sex _ ?” Max gasped in shock, barely making her speech through little coughs to regain her breath after choking on the beverage. 

“Wait. Isn’t that what you meant? You didn’t  _ know _ ?” Connie suddenly placed the drink to the side of the bench, beginning to run her fingers through her hair as she spoke. The panic had set in. 

“No! I was thinking more along the lines of a crush, not-  _ Connie! _ ” Max groaned, completely in shock with her best friend for a couple of reasons. The first being her friend’s inability to tell her what she was doing with the frontman of her favourite band. The second being - what the fuck, Connie?

“What? I-It just happened! We had been spending a lot of time together and-”

“When? When in the fuck did this happen?” 

“The first time was-”

“The _ first _ time?” Max raised her eyebrows, unable to quite comprehend what Connie was telling her. 

“Oh no, this is bad.” Connie pushed her glasses away from her face as she covered her eyes in embarrassment. 

“How many  _ times _ have you had sex with  _ Steven Universe _ ?” Max shuffled closer towards Connie and practically whispered his name in full. It didn’t sound right. 

“What’s considered a  _ not-so-great _ answer?”

“Anything above zero.”

“Two? I mean, it was twice in one night. Does that count as one or two?” 

“Two, Connie. That counts as two.” Max pressed her lips into a thin line as she attempted to fathom what her best friend had been doing when she wasn’t around. She was more than expectant of Connie perhaps having kissed Steven a few times, maybe even fooled around, but having sex? That was a whole new level. 

Connie was beyond embarrassed. This certainly wasn’t something that she wanted to admit to Max, especially not so soon. She felt stupid to have misinterpreted what Max was trying to get across. 

“Max...what have I done?” Connie groaned, unable to look back at her best friend the same way as she did prior to the awkward conversation. Max laughed, unsure as to what the hell Connie was talking about. 

“What do you mean?” Max chuckled, picking up Stephen Space-Wolf from between the two of them and sitting him down on her lap so she could be closer to Connie. 

“Did I mess up? What if I can’t graduate? What if my parents find out? Is this going to get me kicked out of college? What if-” Connie began to spiral. There were so many things that ran through her head that made her feel terrible about what had happened. What were people going to have thought of her if they found out what she had done.

“Woah! Slow down! Did you commit arson too? Because that’s what it sounds like!” Max attempted to calm her friend down the best she could. 

“N-no!”

“So, what’s the problem? You just said you liked him!” 

“I do like him, but you were just acting like this is a terrible thing!” Connie breathed deeply, intensely confused by Max’s display of various emotions. 

“Sorry, I was just shocked that my best friend is sleeping with the frontman of my favourite band. Y’know... _ Steven fuckin’ Universe _ .” Max gasped once again, still intensely impressed with Connie’s efforts. Even Max hadn’t quite won Jenny over in...that way. At least, she didn’t think she had. 

“Don’t say his name like that.” Connie groaned, once again burying her head in her hands. 

“You don’t like it when I put the word ‘fucking’ and ‘Steven Universe’ in a sentence together? Go figure.” Max snorted, unable to control herself. 

“Oh, come on!” 

“Sorry, you totally walked into that one. Look, all I’m saying is this totally isn’t a bad thing. If you like one another, then what’s the problem?” Max was a little confused as to why Connie was so concerned about sleeping with the frontman of the band. Sure, it was a little bit different to what she had been used to - but it was certainly hard to deny how much they both liked one another. It was Connie’s fault for being so awkward about it. 

Connie held her own hands in her lap, beginning to pick at the corners of her fingernails to get herself out of the situation. There was so much on her mind when it came to Steven Universe that it was near impossible to concentrate on anything else. 

Max didn’t know much about Steven’s history when it came to sleeping with women and neither did Connie. Sure, Max had heard rumours, but then again she had heard a lot of rumours about Steven Universe. People always had something to say or unnecessarily complain about. Although, it seemed as if Steven was one of the nicest people that they had met. Max couldn’t imagine anything she had heard was anything other than a ploy for people to have gotten the attention that they most certainly didn’t deserve. 

“He says he wants to hang out with me.” Connie shrugged. 

“Like...a date?”

“Well, we hung out in Austin together and that was super sweet.” 

“Please don’t tell me you slept together in my car.” Max crossed over her fingers and scrunched her eyes together.

“No! We genuinely did go and get ice cream. It was really...nice. I really liked being with him.” 

“Aw man, my best friend Connie - dating the lead singer of Star Destroyers. Man, I love you.” Max grinned, pleased that Connie had warmed up to the band. Perhaps it wasn’t quite in the way that Max had expected, but at least it was something. 

“I wouldn’t call it dating.”

“You slept together.”

“Yeah?”

“You’ve got to work backwards here. You already know what he’s like to sleep with so now you need to figure him out as a person. By the way - how was it?” Max suddenly asked the incredibly personal question. "The sex, I mean." Obviously, she was talking about the sex. 

“I’m not-”

“Give me a rating. A solid five? You could leave a Yelp review for Steven Universe's peen.” 

"Hmmm..." Connie's expression dropped at Max's inappropriate comment. 

"Well, what's the score?"

“I don’t really have anything to compare it to.” Connie blushed as she glanced away, she hadn’t mentioned to Max that her time with Steven had been her first. The trip was turning out to have been a lot more intense than she had expected when it came to new experiences. 

“Oh.” 

“Yeah…”

“But…”

“Okay, it was good.” Connie shrugged, turning away from Max. She had successfully managed to pry it out of her. 

“That’s what I wanted to hear. Get in there, Steven.” Max giggled as Connie suddenly regretted even opening her mouth. 

Connie felt as if a sudden burden had been lifted. As much as she was worried about not eventually telling Max, Steven didn’t seem to have been quite so bothered about telling the band. He was willing to have kept it quiet for as long as possible.

Regardless, their so-called relationship was private. It was down to them as to what they wanted to share with the others. 

In the back of Connie’s mind, she was convinced that the kind of relationship that she had been developing with Steven was the sort that didn’t last much past tour. It made her upset to think about, she didn’t want to have developed all of these feelings to have them thrown away by the fact that she would have to go home. That wasn’t fair on either of them. 

Connie hoped that she wasn’t going to have been treated like a phase. Steven had been convincing in telling her that she had been a new experience for him. She still wasn’t quite sure as to what that meant for her and how that would have impacted them. 

Max was pleased to have spent the whole day hanging out with Connie at the zoo. It was wholesome fun for both of them and Max was pleased to have made a new friend. Stephen Space-Wolf took his place in the backseat of Max’s car. She made sure to safely secure him into the seat, tightening his seatbelt and making sure that he stuck to the health and safety regulations of driving. Connie rolled her eyes at the sight. 

They had adopted a furry son together. Connie knew the plushie would without a doubt live in the car for the rest of the tour and beyond. 

With Stephen Space-Wolf happily strapped in the back of the car, they made their way over to the venue in the evening after quite the day together. They wondered what the band had been up to throughout the day, but Connie wasn’t quite sure as she had religiously kept to her non-texting ban when it came to Steven. She was determined to give Max her full attention all day. 

“So, when are you going to come and mosh with me?” Max questioned as they both stood at the back of the venue. Max swung her arms back and forth as she asked, once again excited for the show. 

“When you can get enough alcohol in me that I won’t notice being stuck inside of a human pinball machine.” Connie scoffed. 

“You drank in L.A., right?” 

“A little bit.”

“Enough to sleep with Steven though, right?”

“Shut up.” Connie scowled, immediately regretting telling Max about what had happened. It wasn’t something that she needed to concern herself with. 

Max continued to swing her arms back and forth, looking around the room. The venue was average size and just under one thousand capacity. There certainly weren't that many people there and it looked as if the venue hadn’t quite reached full capacity, it wasn’t very often that they managed to sell out their shows. 

Connie glanced back behind her at the merch stand. She had never quite looked at everything that the band had on sale. From the infamous star t-shirt that Steven always seemed to have been wearing or the CDs and vinyl records that were available to purchase. There was a little bit of everything for anyone who wanted it. 

“I can’t believe you haven’t brought everything on their merch table yet.” Connie shook her head as she continued to look at the merchandise they were selling. The band relied on the sales a lot and if a member of the band wasn’t behind the stand selling it all it was either a bod from the venue or someone that Greg had hired for a few hours to give them a hand. Either way, Connie always saw people walking out of the venue with new Star Destroyers t-shirts or records. 

“I usually wait until the end of the tour. I’ve been eyeing up the tour t-shirt the whole time though.” Max pointed towards the incredibly simplistic design of a star on the left side of the chest and on the flip side of the t-shirt was a list of all the dates on the tour. It would have been a nice item to have as a memory of their travels. 

“I like the hoodie.” Connie pointed up at the Star Destroyers branded hoodie. Once again a simplistic design of a black hoodie, the sloppy logo of their pink band name on the left side of the chest and a yellow star on the back with their 2020 tour dates inside. 

“You should ask your boyfriend if he’ll get it for you.”

“Max…” Connie gritted her teeth together and grumbled. 

“I’m kidding. Just use one of his.” Max shrugged. 

Admittedly, Connie would have loved to have been close enough with Steven that she would have been able to use one of his hoodies. That was, unfortunately, the kind of thing that she had started to think about after everything. A vast need to continue to be closer to him. An emotional intimacy. 

“I’m regretting telling you.” Connie admitted, looking towards Max with an expression of concern. She really was regretting it. 

“I won’t tell anyone. It’s a secret - I get it, but you totally know the band already knows everything, right?” Max cocked an eyebrow. 

“What do you mean?”

“You guys thought you were slick, but Steven’s a huge  _ flirt _ . He’s not very subtle about much and neither are you with your hair adjustments and red cheeks.” Max bluntly confirmed, shocking Connie slightly with her deadpan expression. 

“Oh.” 

“I don’t know if they really  _ know _ , but I’d be surprised if they didn’t.” 

Connie wasn’t quite sure what that meant for her. Was it worth continuing to hide their romance? Was she embarrassed or was he? What was the problem? 

“I think I’m going to buy a hoodie.” Connie suddenly decided, wanting nothing more than to think about purchasing the somewhat overpriced merchandise and not a lot else. She knew that if any of the band had seen her buy it, they would have been likely for them to have just given it to her - but she didn't want that. She was willing to support the band however she could. 

“Good choice.” Max confirmed, watching Connie step over to the front of the merch stand. 

Connie purchased the black Star Destroyers hoodie and threw it over her head. It was slightly oversized, but not by much. Surprisingly, it was incredibly comfortable to wear and reminded her a lot of her college hoodie - except this one was a lot cooler to be in. Especially at the show. 

As the band played, the venue filled and the room got hotter Connie decided that she regretted buying the hoodie at the beginning of the show and not the end. Either way, it was comfortable and she was willing to have made the sacrifice to wear it throughout the show. She could have taken it off, but the commitment was already there. 

Connie and Max stuck around for as long as they were allowed to until security came to talk to them about what they were still doing there. For once, Max hadn’t gotten quite as drunk as usual and hadn’t been in the arms of a security guard for most of the night. It wasn’t long before the band came out of hiding and found their way down from the stage to meet their friends and fans. 

“Nice hoodie.” Steven winked as he immediately noticed Connie in the Star Destroyers merchandise. Along with the black and white pair of Converse and the skinny jeans, she was really starting to look as if she fitted in the crowd. Alternative - like the rest of them. 

“Oh, yeah - I don’t really like the band. The design was cool though.” Connie teased as she pointed towards the band logo on the front of her new hoodie. 

“Oh really? That’s a bold fashion statement. I might have to get one myself.” 

“Ooo, we probably shouldn’t match.” Connie pouted, a little bit worried that Steven truly would have gotten the same hoodie. It was a very simplistic design and yet if they both wore one then it took away the novelty of it all. It also would have been somewhat embarrassing. 

“You and Max should have ‘crew’ hoodies or t-shirts. That way people would know that you’re with us!” Steven suddenly suggested, Max’s ears pricking at the sound of her name. She spun on her heel, no longer distracted by the abundance of people exiting the venue. 

“This. I like this idea.” Max pointed at Steven as he smiled. 

“See? You guys deserve the title.” Steven wanted to make sure that the two of them felt as comfortable as possible with the band. It was hard for them to get noticed as being part of the band and Steven never wanted them to feel left out. He wanted to hang out with them both post-tour and a part of him was worried that wouldn’t happen. 

There was a fear in the bottom of his stomach that told him that he wasn’t good enough for someone like Connie. Would her other peers have been embarrassed by someone like Steven? The thought of her parents had even crossed his mind, would he have been good enough for them? In his mind, all he could think about was a long term plan with the girl that had swept him away. Was it possible? 

Only time would have been able to reveal whether or not he was going to have survived past the tour. Now he had pictured it in his mind, he wanted very little else other than to have spent time with her. 

“So, there’s an arcade that’s open until late next door. Did you guys want to hang out with us?” Steven swung his arms back and forth as he spoke, a similar way in which Max had done previously. It was clear that coming over to ask the question had been his intention since he had gotten there. 

“An arcade? Awesome!” Max loved video games and she knew that going to an arcade meant she would have been able to beat everyone at the games she had already aced so many times in the past. It would have been great. 

Not only that, but she was pretty happy that the band had asked if they wanted to hang out once more. It felt special. Sure, it had been a common occurrence, but it didn’t make it any less exciting whenever they did ask. 

“Sure!” Connie confirmed. It had gotten to a point that she would have accepted to do most activities if it meant that she got to be with everyone. Her sleep schedule was too far gone to have even worried about something like that anymore. She was practically nocturnal. 

“Okay! I’ll get everything packed up and then we’ll head over.” Steven popped some finger guns at them both before backing away slowly, winking in the process. 

It was weird for Connie to have to spend her time around Steven knowing what kind of complex relationship that they had with one another. It wasn’t quite the fact that it was complex, but it certainly was awkward. She had been more than intimate with him and the idea of keeping that a secret as they went about their day to day life was pretty difficult. She hadn’t even really been in a position to have discussed things with him in a private manner. 

Sure, they had a small conversation on the topic when they were in Nebraska, but it didn’t quite feel like enough. There was another conversation that needed to be had about the whole thing so that Connie could finally settle with the idea in her head. She wanted to spend another night with him, whether that was sexually intimate or not. 

Just to be...sure. 

It wasn’t long before Max and Connie had made their way next door to the bar and arcade. It was a nice combination and as soon as the band got everything sorted at the venue they were quick to join them. Connie sat off to the side of the bar as she watched everyone else order drinks, despite being thirsty she wasn’t quite sure whether or not she wanted to damage her body further with any more alcohol. If everyone else was drunk she needed to make sure that she was level-headed enough to keep an eye out for them. 

“Is the Sober Squad accepting new members?” Steven leant his elbow on the high table, Connie leaning on the opposite side, sitting upon a tall barstool. 

“Depends if they’re sober or not.” Connie smirked as she removed her chin from her hands, no longer propping herself up. 

“Well, I’m sort of hoping that smoking doesn’t count then.” Steven shrugged. 

“I’ll let it slide - this time.” Connie smiled, of course Steven would have been allowed in the Sober Squad. They mostly made sure that people weren’t drinking, smoking was okay. Considering fifty percent of the party’s members smoked, it was hard to say otherwise. 

Steven slid onto the seat opposite before tapping his finger against the table, looking over at the band and Max ordering drinks at the bar. Steven didn’t mind drinking socially and probably would have if Connie hadn't been there. It wasn’t the case that he didn’t want to drink in front of her, but it was more down to the fact that if they both weren’t drinking they had something to relate to that nobody else had. 

Connie looked over at Steven, he looked just as good as he had done night after night. There was something about him in Los Angeles that had made him overly attractive. It could have been the alcohol in her system or even the stupid pink shirt that he had opted to wear. Connie wasn’t quite sure what had gotten Steven under her skin, but it wasn’t as if she was going to have complained about it. 

“So, do you play many video games?” Steven attempted to strike up a casual conversation. 

“They’re cool, I just don’t really have the time.” Connie nodded. 

“Right. College. Bummer.” Steven rubbed his finger against his bottom lip. Connie watched his mind wander.

“But I could probably still kick your ass on  _ these _ games.” Connie added as he turned to look at her, a little bit shocked by her comment. 

“I don’t think so.” 

“Really?”

“This is my field of expertise.” 

“I thought that was music.” 

“My second field of expertise.” 

“What makes you say that?” Connie cocked an eyebrow, interested to know why she wouldn’t have been able to kick his ass at arcade games. As much as she was just teasing him, she was interested to see what his abilities on the games were like and whether or not she would have been a somewhat competitive streak inside of him that she hadn’t noticed before. 

“Amethyst practically had an arcade in her house. Do you know how long I spent there as a kid?” Steven turned in his seat to speak to Connie, a seriousness in his tone. Although Steven hadn’t spoken much about the people who he considered family, Connie was surprised to have heard the name of one of The Gems being mentioned. 

“Too long?” Connie laughed. 

“Yeah, but, it was a long time. A really long time. See, the moral of the story is - I’m going to be able to beat you.” Steven gave Connie a smug expression as if he had already won every game that they were even considering playing. 

“Okay,  _ Universe _ . What’s the bet?” 

“The bet?”

“Well, let’s play for something. Make it interesting.” 

“Oh. Like what?”

“How about if I win, I get to pick somewhere for us to go on a first date together.” Connie spoke so casually, taking Steven back slightly with her words. 

Sure, they had been intimate with one another several times, but they were yet to have gone on a date. At least not an official one. 

Connie was asking him on a date. Surprisingly, he had never been asked on a date before. His cheeks immediately turned a shade of red, he was right in saying that everything with Connie was different. Everything was such a new experience, he couldn’t quite believe it. 

“And if I win?”

“You get to pick.” Connie confirmed, noticing the nervous expression on his face. They had previously spoken about hanging out with one another the day before and yet Steven hadn’t quite expected it to have come out the way that it did. He certainly hadn’t expected it to have been called a date either. 

A million possibilities ran through Steven’s mind as to where he could have taken her on a date. He had seen so many romantic movies that the possibilities were endless. He wanted to make Connie feel as special as she made him feel in the most indirect way. 

He had to win. 

“Okay...deal.” Steven nodded, still a little bit nervous with the bet. He reached across the table and held out his hand for Connie to shake. Connie smiled as she held out her hand and shook his, once again feeling the warm connection of his skin on hers. 

“Deal.” Connie smirked, wanting nothing more than to kick his ass in whatever game they chose. 

The band made their way into the arcade, picking all sorts of games that they wanted to play with one another. The band, Max and Connie had started an air hockey tournament within moments of being inside of the arcade. Buck and Jenny came out victorious against Sour Cream and Steven. Eventually, Max and Connie came out in the last place against them all making Steven smirk with enjoyment. If Connie had lost air hockey there was a chance that she would have lost the other games that they would have participated in. 

He had to win. 

“Guitar Hero? Yeah, that’s a no from me.” Connie shook her head as she folded over her arms and looked down at the plastic guitar. 

“Oh, come on!” Steven groaned. 

“You have an unfair advantage.” 

“This is a little different from a real guitar.” 

“But you’re still really  _ good _ with your fingers. I’m not!” Connie spoke so casually, moving her fingers in a way to play the air guitar only realising what she had said after saying it. Her expression dropped as a huge smile crept up Steven’s face. 

“Oh, really?” Steven grinned, continuing to hold the plastic guitar by the neck. 

“That’s not what-”

“I know, but it’s funny. Considering, y’know-” Steven snorted at the thought. He knew that she was still embarrassed to admit how much she enjoyed having sex with him, but he didn’t mind. It was fun to tease her phrasing. 

“I know!” Connie snapped before looking over at him and chuckling slightly. He smiled before joining her small amount of laughter, putting the guitar back down in the spot created for it to sit perfectly - except it didn’t. Years of erosion had caused it more harm than first expected. 

“So, how good are you at skeeball?” Steven questioned as he glanced over at the machine in the corner. 

“All I know is I’m better than you.” Connie teased as she folded over her arms, still wearing the hoodie that she had brought that same evening. 

“At skeeball? Yeah, I’m going to start thinking of ideas on where to take you now.” Steven scoffed, clearly showing up his abilities. He was pretty skilled when it came to skeeball. He was convinced that Connie wouldn’t have stood a chance against him. 

“Don’t get too cocky.” Connie shook her head and smirked. It turned out that Steven was a somewhat competitive person and was going to do everything that he could to have won against her. He wasn’t going to let her win - no matter what. 

They made their way over to the skeeball machine and Steven placed the money in both of the slots. 

“Ready to get toasted?” 

“You’d be lucky, Universe.” Connie winked, picking up one of the balls and preparing herself to begin to throw. 

Little did Connie know that Steven didn’t just spend a lot of time in the arcade when he was a kid, but he was pretty good at it. Steven wasn’t going to completely share his history of playing the games as that would have given him an unfair advantage against Connie. Usually, he would have liked to have let other people win when playing games against them, however, this time he wanted nothing more than to have been the one to choose the date that the two of them would have gone on. It seemed like a good idea.

Connie and Steven began to throw the balls into the machine, laughing as they went. Connie was rolling somewhat successful balls until she glanced over at the numbers in front of Steven, making her practically gasp in shock. He wasn’t even going easy on her! He was completely thrashing her score with little remorse. 

Connie furrowed her eyebrows as she tried her hardest to aim the balls for the highest numbers, only hitting them on the off chance. Steven had his victory handed to him on a silver platter. He placed his hands on his hips and beamed up at the high score on the small screen before glancing back over at Connie who was completely defeated by her score. 

“Um...I’m sorry-” 

“Woah, you’re  _ really _ good.” Connie’s eyes were wide with shock. Was there anything that the man wasn’t talented at? 

“I guess. I mean, we can-” 

“You won! That means you get to take me on a date. After that win, it better be something nice.” Connie spoke jokingly, getting a little closer to him before poking him gently in the chest. 

Steven had never been on a date before. He had no idea where people took one another other than what he had seen in movies. Did he have to dress up? How much was it going to cost him? How long was it going to last? When would they have time to go on a date? 

“So, where do you want to go?” Steven asked, Connie beginning to laugh at his words. 

“You get to decide, that was the whole point of winning. It’s down to  _ you _ .” 

“Can you give me a hint?” Steven bit his lip, a little bit nervous that he wouldn’t have been able to think of anything. What happened to all of the ideas that had previously flooded his mind? What happened to his knowledge of romance? 

“We should give pinball a try.” Connie suggested as she began to walk in that direction, Steven nervously following behind her. For a romantic, he was really struggling to think of what to do. He had finally been given the opportunity and as much as he had thought about that moment for a lot of his life, suddenly his mind had gone blank. 

Connie posted a coin into the slot of the pinball machine. She wasn’t much of a player herself, but it was interesting to have played as Steven mentally panicked about what kind of date he wanted to take her on. Why was it so difficult? 

He hadn’t thought this through. He should have let her win. The sex part was  _ so _ easy, but it was the only part that he knew. He had never been beyond that with anyone before and yet there he was pacing up and down the side of the pinball machine trying to figure out what would have been the best option for them both. 

Connie pressed the sides of the game and watched as the ball shot back up the machine. Out the corner of her eyes, she could see Steven stewing on plenty of questions that he wanted her to answer when it came to what she wanted to do on a date. She could see it was torturing him.

“So, you won’t give me a hint?” Steven leant on the side of the pinball machine, attempting to make eye contact with her. If he could have done that then at least she may have given into him. 

“Nope.” Connie continued to stare down at the pinball, not bothering to look up at Steven as he pouted. 

Steven looked around the arcade to see if he could see any of the band or Max. They didn’t seem to be anywhere around, more than likely playing with the giant Jenga that was by the bar whilst they all drank a little too much. Steven crept around behind Connie, standing as close to her as possible. 

Connie noticed his presence, practically pushed up against her the same way that he had done when he was attempting to have taught her a little bit of guitar. She had completely forgotten his first lesson, too distracted by the kiss that he had given her not too long after. It then reminded her of when he had practically given away the game when she was speaking to her parents. 

She felt his hands slide down either side of her arms and fall into the same place as her hands that were currently pressing the buttons on the machine. As the ball went to the very top of the machine, Connie took the small break to also have a quick look around the arcade. If Steven was going to have been this close to her, she didn’t want the band to have walked into that. 

They didn’t seem to have been around. 

“I probably should have let you win.” Steven tittered softly beside her ear, watching the pinball over her shoulder. 

“Yeah?” 

“Well, I’ve never been on a date before.” 

“Wait, really?” Connie was incredibly shocked to hear it. From what she had gathered, Steven had multiple sexual partners in the past from his experience, although when it came to romance or relationships it wasn’t something that he spoke about. He had mentioned his love for love in Austin, but the conversation was quick to trail off. 

“When I said I was new to this stuff, I meant it.” Steven rested his chin on Connie’s shoulder as he watched the ball bounce around the machine, continuing to hold onto the tops of her hands as her fingers repeatedly pressed into the buttons. 

“You seem pretty confident.” 

“I’m pretty nervous.” Steven admitted with a little chuckle. He didn’t want to mess anything up, but honesty was on his side. Connie respected his ability to admit his lack of knowledge on the subject. She hadn’t been so confident in telling him her prior experience when it came to sex. 

“It’s okay. I’m nervous too.” Connie responded, with him resting on her shoulder she internally wished that they could have cuddled up with one another as they did in L.A.

“It’s just...I really like spending time with you and I don’t want to mess it up.” Steven’s words were practically a croaky whisper in her ear over the music and sounds of the arcade machines around them. 

“How could you possibly mess it up?” Connie questioned as there were thoughts running through her mind as to what he could have done that would have hurt her feelings. They weren’t in any kind of committed relationship. He didn’t owe her anything. 

“I don’t know. I just…” Steven sighed, a little bit unsure as to what he was supposed to say. His confidence in himself was near to none when it came to this kind of thing. There was nothing he could do to shake the thoughts. “...I’m scared.” Steven finally confessed. 

Connie allowed the balls to fall through the middle of the arms inside of the pinball machine as she heard the words. She was desperate to understand his fears, she wanted to have been there to comfort him. She cared a lot about him and seeing him down was starting to get to her. 

Connie turned around as Steven stepped back, taking his chin away from her shoulder. Connie pushed the bottom of her back against the pinball machine as she gripped onto either side of Steven’s shirt. 

Steven felt incredibly nervous, he had never admitted his fears to anyone before when it came to relationships and love. There had been so much swimming through his mind since the first day of the tour when he had met her that it was all such an incredibly new experience for him still. How was he supposed to understand and navigate romance when the only thing he was used to was sexual partners that didn't even wait until the morning came around to leave him? 

“I told Max.” Connie announced, a little to Steven’s surprise. 

“You-”

“I’m sorry, I needed to speak to someone about it that wasn’t myself. She won’t tell anyone.” Connie looked up at Steven’s shocked expression, a little bit scared that he may have been upset by her actions. He held onto either side of her arms and glanced away before shrugging. 

“Well, she is your best friend. It would be  _ weird _ if you didn’t tell her.” Steven managed to smile slightly. 

“Right.” Connie looked away before continuing. “Have you told the band? I wouldn’t be mad…” 

“No. Not yet. I think they  _ probably _ know, but it’s complicated. I don't want them to know. Not now.” Steven sighed, a little embarrassed by his past. There were reasons that he couldn’t quite get into with Connie as to why telling the band would have been awkward. Reasons that he was embarrassed about. Reasons that he believed would have made the band attempt to make sure he stayed away from Connie. 

“Oh.”

Steven didn’t want them to judge him for his past mistakes once more, reflecting them back onto Connie would have been the worst thing they could have done for him. In his mind, he was convinced that they would have repeatedly told him how bad he was for wanting to be with Connie. It wasn’t as if this was the first time he was convinced he had fallen in love with a girl whilst on tour. Except, they didn’t understand. This really was different. 

It wasn’t like any of the times before. Connie was a completely different person and their relationship had been incredibly new to what Steven had witnessed in the past. It was fine. It wasn’t like...Portland. 

If the band found out he had been having sex with Connie then they would have shoved her in the same category that they shoved every girl in that Steven was remotely interested in. It wasn’t like that. He would have been able to feel the judgement from them almost immediately. He had already felt it. 

“Y’know what?” Connie continued to hold onto Steven’s arms as she spoke. 

“What?”

“If there’s one thing I’ve learnt whilst being on this tour, it’s that it doesn’t matter what other people think of you. Sure, I’m still super nervous about everything - but I’ve done things on this trip that months ago I wouldn’t have even been able to imagine myself doing. It helps to be with Max, she doesn’t really care what other people think of her - rightfully so. It’s just...sometimes it’s so hard to meet these expectations that you believe people set for you. I study tirelessly in college and what does it get me? Sure, it gets me the education that I want, but I’ve never  _ lived _ like this before. It’s such a different lifestyle and yet it’s so fantastic that I’m internally struggling with the fact we have five days left until the end of the tour. What happens then? Does everything go back to normal?” Connie questioned. 

“I guess...it does.” Steven furrowed his eyebrows. Was he really just a phase? In five days time was he going to have been nothing more than a experience? A memory?

Just like every time in the past. 

“I don’t want it to.” Connie pressed her lips into a thin line. 

“Me neither.” Steven’s heart skipped a beat. 

Connie straightened the front of his shirt and smiled, she had become so much more confident around the man that her actions shocked her. It seemed as if no matter what they always tried to be touching one another somehow. 

She caught eyes with Steven as he stared back at her, she was so beautiful under the lights of the arcade. The arcade instantly took his mind to the hazy purple lighting in the recording studio. Connie bit her lip before brushing the front of his chest.

“So, that means that this needs to be a pretty good date.” Connie smirked. Steven thought about what she was attempting to suggest, his mind somewhat shooting to the idea of some kind of permanence. 

A long term plan. 

“I-I can do that.” Steven stuttered his words, suddenly excited with her suggestion. Of course, he still had no idea what he could have done to win her over. It seemed as if he already had done so. 

“I can’t wait.” Connie leant forward and planted a small kiss on his cheek, causing him to blush slightly. “We should probably see what everyone else is up to.” 

“Yeah, we should.”

Connie stepped past Steven and began to walk in the direction of the bar. Steven turned on his heel with his mouth slightly ajar from her actions. He lifted his hand up to his cheek and smiled as he watched her throw her hands into the front of the hoodie and spin around. 

“Are you coming?” She shouted before tucking her hair behind her ear. 

“Y-yeah!” Steven stuttered, noticing her little smile as she walked in the other direction. 

He was completely smitten. 


	15. Chicago, IL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven continues to struggle with ideas on where to take them on their first date. 
> 
> The gang play laser tag...

Connie stared down at her new pair of Converse, realising how much a pair of shoes could have made her fit in with everyone around her. She held her hands together in the front of her hoodie pocket and looked around for the rest of her party. 

It wasn’t her outfit that made her feel out of place, in fact with the hoodie and skinny jeans she fitted in perfectly. It was mostly her presence and lack of skateboard that made standing off to the side of a skatepark a little scarier than she had expected. Steven had attempted to convince her that skaters mostly cared about themselves, their tricks and weed. 

There wasn’t quite anything else on their agenda. They wouldn’t have bothered Connie. 

“Are you sure you don’t want a go? I don’t want you to feel left out.” Max held the skateboard out for Connie as she shook her head to deny the offer. 

“I’m fine! It’s a lot of fun watching you guys, I’m just worried one of you might end up in the hospital.” Connie pulled a face at the thought, she didn’t want to have to drive one of them to hospital after a skateboarding accident. 

“Unlikely. These guys know what they’re doing. They can  _ fucking shred _ .” Max stuck her tongue out and threw up a shaka sign with her hand. 

Max was right, the band had been skating for as long as they could remember. Surprisingly, even Steven was seasoned in the sport. Despite having a talent for music, he still managed to have enough time to learn to skateboard. Not just learn, but to have become pretty good at doing so. Being on tour allowed him to practice a lot of the time and heading to places like Chicago allowed them to try out each of the skateparks they could find. 

Max got back onto the board and pushed off past Connie, making her way back to the skatepark. Connie had to admit, it did look pretty fun. It had been a while since Connie had given skateboarding a go by practically stumbling off the board and falling into Steven. That had been embarrassing. 

A great weight had been lifted from Connie’s shoulders knowing that she was able to have spoken to Max about the relationship that she shared with Steven. It was pretty awkward when she thought about it in great detail, but for the most part she was happy to have gotten it out of her system. There wasn’t anything to worry about. 

Connie wanted to make sure that they kept their secret so that the band didn’t exactly...find out. It didn’t seem as if Steven was originally that bothered about them knowing what was going on between them and yet suddenly after L.A. it had become so much more of an issue. It was mostly about their judgement over the situation. He could only imagine them questioning his choices as to why he would have lured a girl into believing that they were in love. Steven was pretty good at creating the perfect fantasy within his mind. 

Connie watched as he kickflipped onto a rail before grinding down and landing straight into a manual. Of course, Connie had no idea what any of the skateboarding terms were, but the quick succession of his movements showed her that he was pretty slick when it came to showing off another one of his talents. 

Considering there were kids all over the park that could barely make all four wheels off the ground when popping an ollie, it was hard not to compare Steven’s fluidity in the sport to the new starters. He certainly knew what he was doing. Steven knew what he was doing when it came to a lot of things…

It was only the previous night after the show that they had been to the arcade and Connie had lost a bet. Although it seemed as if Steven hadn’t quite suggested anything else on the subject when it came to a date. She knew that Steven was struggling with ideas, but for someone who was incredibly romantic it seemed strange for him to have not even mentioned it once more to her. 

Connie watched as Steven practically climbed up the side of the bowl to join her. He tucked his skateboard under his arm and walked over, the bottom of the skateboard still showing off the impressive drawing of a pink lion. It was a bizarre design and yet Connie liked it, she had taken note of a lot of the weird skateboard decks that she had seen at the park. Steven’s was certainly the coolest. 

“Are you sure you don’t want another lesson?” Steven breathed heavily as he spoke, clearly out of breath from his constant skateboarding for the past hour or so. 

“And what happens if I hit another rock?” 

“Well, you know what happens - I’ll catch you.” Steven smiled proudly, Connie snorted in response as she shook her head. “Besides, the ground here is super smooth. There probably won’t be any rocks.” 

“You  _ really _ want me on that skateboard, don’t you?” Connie laughed as she pointed towards the board. 

“Other than the other week, have you ever tried it?” 

“I’ve been roller skating before, that’s fun!” 

“Roller skating is pretty scary!” Steven admitted, a part of him not ever wanting to partake in the activity. 

“No, it’s not! It’s a lot of fun and there’s more wheels and less...board. I used to go a lot with my friends back in high school. I'd love to go again.” 

“Sure, more wheels - more fear.” Steven furrowed his eyebrows before he walked over to the bench that Connie was standing in front of. 

Connie noticed where he was going and went to join him on the bench. You could see the whole park. Connie could just about make out Max and the others in the distance. She was so impressed with Max’s ability to have made friends with everyone. Connie seemed to have glued herself to Steven without even quite realising. 

“I’m not going to force you to skate.” Steven sighed, placing the board on the floor beside him and leaning back on the bench before catching his breath.

“Good, because I wasn’t going to.” Connie laughed, adjusting the hoodie she was wearing as she sat down on the bench beside him. 

They sat in partial silence for a moment, the noise of traffic, skateboard wheels slamming against concrete and shouting were the only things to be heard between them. Steven decided to be somewhat smooth as he put his arm on the back of the bench behind Connie. She noticed instantly, feeling slightly more connected to him without even being subjected to his touch. At least he hadn’t yawned before doing it, that truly would have been a joke. 

Connie turned to look at him, his face showing only an expression of innocence as if he hadn’t done anything to make her look at him that way. He certainly wasn’t as innocent as he made out. They stared at one another for a moment, still incredibly close. If they weren’t so shy of the surrounding public, perhaps they would have kissed right then and there. 

“Would you like to go on a date with me tomorrow?” Steven suddenly popped the question, Connie was a little bit taken back by the ask. Although she knew they were going out together at some point, she certainly hadn’t expected him to have asked. 

“I’ll have to check my calendar.” Connie giggled slightly as Steven smiled back, understanding her flirtatious humour straight away. 

“Oh, okay. Sure. I can pencil you in though, right?” Steven asked, his arm still on the back of the bench. It took every fibre in her very being not to snuggle up beside him. The weather wasn’t that great in Chicago and they had managed to catch one of the very fewer overcast days in the city that July. 

“Depends what you have planned.” 

“Um...it’s a surprise.” Steven bit his lip, he wasn’t ready to give up anything. He had spent all day trying to think of something, even consulting old online forums that had the same question as he did. 

Where exactly do you take someone on a first date? 

Was it even their first date? Officially, he guessed it was. 

Connie was still convinced that there was a chance that Steven still had no idea where he wanted them to go, which is why he had delayed the date. It seemed nice to have confirmation that he was still up to them wanting to be together. It still felt strange to have fallen head over heels for the boy in the emo band. 

“A surprise?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Okay. I look forward to it.” Connie smirked, still convinced that he didn’t have a good idea of what they were going to have done the next day. The likelihood of him not being able to think of anything was high. 

Steven looked over at Connie once more and smiled, finally moving his hand that was behind her on the back of the bench. Connie felt a little sad that he no longer wanted to somewhat pretend to hold her, but she appreciated it more when his hand fell to his knee that was closest to her. 

“I’m going to have to think of an excuse for when we go out together.” Steven looked down at his index finger that was currently circling just above his knee, the rest of his hand currently balancing between both of their thighs as they sat beside one another. 

“How come? We’re always together, they wouldn’t suspect anything different. We’re together right now.” Connie informed him. It seemed a little weird that Steven was nervous about spending a few hours away from the band. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t done it before. 

“Well, I was thinking maybe we could do something fun during the day and then spend an evening together?” Steven bit the inside of his lip as his ring finger gently made its way over to just above Connie’s knee, circling slightly. Connie noted the touch, was he suggesting that they should sleep together again? 

“After the show?” 

“Yeah, that would be nice - wouldn’t it?” Steven asked as he gently brushed two of his fingers against the top of Connie’s knee in a circular motion. 

“What were you thinking?”

“Huh?”

“For the evening?”

“Oh, right. Um, we could always get food? Maybe we could watch a movie? Talk?” Steven continued to chew the inside of his lip, keeping up the rhythm of his circling fingers on her thigh. Connie very much took notice of his suggestion. 

Sex. She knew he wanted to say it. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. 

Steven was finding it incredibly hard to steer clear of the sex aspect of their newfound relationship. After they had sex the second time, Steven had started to conclude that it was possible to have a romantic relationship on top of a sexually active relationship. It was good to have a mixture of the both and Steven was starting to realise that it was possible to have the two of them. Something he had never realised was viable for someone like him in the past. 

“That sounds nice.” Connie smiled, digging her fingers underneath Steven’s hand so she could hold him. Steven’s rampant need for circles ended as soon as he relaxed his hand intertwined between Connie’s fingers. 

Steven’s heart was full whenever she was around, wanting nothing more than to tell her everything that his heart felt. He couldn’t have been that person, not anymore. He had to be sure that Connie was someone that he wanted to be with beyond the tour and despite the small argument inside of his head, he was more sure about this than he had been about anything in his entire life. 

He wanted this. He wanted to be with Connie. 

It was down to Connie to decide whether or not she wanted the same thing or if she wanted to go back to college and never look back on the rebellious phase that she had when travelling throughout the states. 

Steven quickly flinched away from Connie as he noticed a recognisable face approaching. Connie didn’t quite know what was going on as he slid ever so slightly away from her on the bench and held his skateboard between his legs. Connie looked up and noticed Max walking over to them both.

“Jeez guys, you look guilty.” Max sighed as she noticed Steven’s flustered expression. He didn’t want to have been caught out with Connie, especially not by the band. Then they would have made assumptions that he didn’t want to deal with. 

“Nothing. We’re talking about music.” Steven defended himself, anxiously coming up with some kind of excuse. Connie glanced over to him once more, he was terrible at lying. 

“Dude, I know you’re fucking.” Max snorted as she shook her head and kicked up the board that she had been skating on before catching it. 

“Max…” Connie groaned, pushing her palm against her forehead in frustration. 

“Oh…right.” Steven had forgotten that Connie had told him about Max knowing the previous night. That didn’t mean he shouldn’t have been cautious when it came to their relationship. 

“Boning aside, I’ve come to ask you losers if you want to come hang out with us. Buck came up with a really good idea. One last thing before we have to go and set up for the show.” Max asked as she held onto the board, exchanging glances between the both of them. It was strange how she spoke about the show, as if her and Connie were also required to set up. 

“What’s that?” Connie asked, adjusting her glasses as she finally removed her palm from her forehead in frustration. 

“Laser tag!” Max pointed a finger gun at them both. 

“Woah, that sounds like fun!” Steven immediately perked up, no longer quite so embarrassed about being with Connie when around Max. He sat up on the bench, not wanting to spend the whole time leaning up against it whilst participating in some form of conversation. 

Connie had never played laser tag, but it did seem like something that would have been a good group activity to have participated in. They hadn’t done much as a band and two friends all together. It was certainly time that they spent a day hanging out with one another before the tour came to a close. 

“I’m up for that.” Connie confirmed, smiling at both Max and Connie. 

“Okay, great! Well, we’d better head over there as soon as possible else we’ll be late for setup.” Max practically instructed, taking control of the situation when it came to the band. She certainly could have been their manager if she tried hard enough, she was giving Greg a run for his money. 

Steven and Connie didn’t hesitate to both stand up, excited to have been invited to participate in the group activity. They left Max’s car back by the venue and they all piled into the van. 

Connie was pretty disgusted by the inside of the van and Steven was somewhat embarrassed that they all had to ride inside. Jenny had agreed to drive them all, so Steven, Max and Connie sat across the three backseats. 

Max was mesmerised by the van’s personal space. It was disgusting, but in the most  _ punk _ way possible. She wondered whether or not the van had been used previously by another band which is where all of the cigarette burns in the carpet had come from or whether Star Destroyers were punk enough to have done that themselves. Steven didn’t quite look like the sort of person to disrespect their property and neither did anyone else in the van. 

Although, Max was just happy to have been able to get a ride in the van for the first time. It was certain to complete the tour. 

Connie, on the other hand, made sure not to touch anything. Not only could she see little bits of foam from the seats sticking out of near enough every slit and fraying section of fabric, there were also candy wrappers and empty water bottles situated just about everywhere. Steven was usually a pretty clean person, but he was mostly the one to sit up front and drive. It wasn’t often that he got into the back and usually when he did he was cleaning up after other people. 

It was mostly Jenny. She would never have admitted how many candy wrappers she had shoved down the side of the seat that one time, but it was certainly more than a few. 

Despite everything, the back of the van was pretty tight with all three of them sitting together. Connie was situated in the middle, both of her legs pressed up against both Max and Steven. Luckily, the drive wasn’t very long. 

Steven made an effort to push his foot as close to Connie’s as possible. If he couldn’t hold her hand then he was going to try and get close regardless. Connie noticed his efforts, giving him a sweet smile in return. He very much appreciated the expression. 

“What are the teams going to be?” Sour Cream questioned as he pulled the plastic vest covered in lights over his head. 

“I think this calls for a girls versus boys tournament.” Jenny suggested as she looked at the large plastic pistol that she had been provided. The last time that Jenny had done laser tag was when she was back home with her sister. 

“Oh yeah?” Buck cocked an eyebrow as he adjusted his sunglasses, completely unable to see inside of the dark building. It didn’t matter - he looked cool. 

“Me, Max and Connie versus you losers.” Jenny pointed to each of the boys who stood looking back at Jenny with a dumbfounded expression. 

“Hey, we haven’t played yet. You might find  _ we’re _ the winners.” Steven pouted before looking over at Connie and smirking. Connie knew all about being cocky and then just...being obliterated by her opponent. 

She wouldn’t have let that happen this time. Team  _ girl squad _ was the way to go and they were going to wreck them all. 

“I doubt it.” Max scoffed as she looked over the plastic pistol, spinning it in her hand the best she could without dropping it on the floor. 

“We won’t find out unless we play.” Connie shrugged, growing a little bit impatient that they were still waiting around and hadn’t even bothered to go and start the game. 

“Connie’s right. Let’s go get em’.” Buck grinned, excited that everyone had taken his suggestion on what activity they were going to have to go and play. 

“We’re going to kick your butts.” Jenny winked. 

“Oh yeah, well - we’re going to do that too, but better!” Sour Cream countered, there wasn’t much success when it came to smack talking one another. There was too much love. 

They all walked into the arena and took the places in which they were instructed to stand. It didn’t take long for the two teams to gather and create a battle plan. The boys had the strategy of running and gunning, whereas the girls were all about their stealth. It was mostly down to Max’s insistence of wanting to be a ninja. Jenny and Connie then decided that they too wanted to take on the stance of stealthy ninjas amongst the shadows. 

Steven, Buck and Sour Cream didn’t quite have anything planned on how they were going to win. They just knew that they were going to win regardless. Well, at least that’s what they had convinced themselves of. 

The two teams made their way around the arena, each of them splitting up and following the path around the looping maze. There were so many places for people to have hidden in the dimly lit arena and everyone was determined to win. 

Connie’s Converse touched on the floor as she crept around corner after corner, the only thing that she could hear was the pacing music that was blasting throughout the arena. Connie was incredibly physically fit and games like laser tag were easy - if she needed to run she would have. Her morning routine of running around campus made that an easy task to handle. 

She held tightly onto the plastic pistol as her only defence against anyone that was to sneak around the corner. Connie tiptoed through the maze, suddenly hearing the noise of lasers going off in the distance. It was time for combat as they finally met their opponents. She hoped that either Max or Jenny hadn’t been shot. 

They all had a few lives, if they got shot all they would have to do is to sit around for a moment and recharge. Connie hoped to not lose a single life in the game, but then again - everyone was hoping for the same thing. 

Connie stopped in her tracks, hearing a slight scuffle on the wall opposite her. She pushed her back against the wall, the plastic vest making a noise as soon as she hit against the paint. Connie took a deep breath in. If there was someone on the opposite side of the wall she was ready to blast them with everything that she had. 

The best option was to turn the corner and shoot. It was her only option - especially if they both had the same idea. It was either that or sneaking back in the opposite direction away from the combat. She had to face whoever it was on the other side. 

Without further hesitation, she jumped around the corner and pulled her finger against the trigger of the pistol, incredibly surprised to see Max doing the same thing to her. 

“Max?” Connie gasped with a slight whisper, realising that they had both committed friendly fire on one another. 

“Either we’re really bad at this or they’re really good.” Max sighed, lowering the pistol. 

“Have you found any of them yet?” 

“Yeah - I found you.” 

“Any of the guys?” Connie sighed back.

“Not yet.” 

“We should probably split up again.”

“Alright. Stay safe out there, Commander. It’s dangerous.”

“You too.” Connie confirmed as they both looked at one another and nodded confidently. 

Both Max and Connie exited in different directions, running away to make sure that they quickened their pace enough to get away from one another. Connie was fast and made her way across to the opposite side of the arena pretty quickly. Her strategy was to get behind the rest of the team and shoot them from behind. It would have been their best opportunity at winning the game.

Considering how little of them there were playing the game, the arena was pretty big and could have easily been reduced in size and still have been incredibly large. 

Connie held the pistol up in front of her as she walked down a tight corridor with black wall either side, a neon pink light illuminating the ceiling. The corridor had lots of little dips within it for people to hide, Connie made sure to look in each one as she heard the distant sound of voices. 

It was nothing but a ploy. The last thing she wanted to do was to be ambushed when she was on her own. She had to play it smart. 

Connie had barely made it through the corridor before her chest began to flash, the vest suddenly vibrating. She attempted to use her pistol, no longer did it shoot a flashing light out of the end of it as she pulled the trigger. What had happened? Was the game broken? 

She turned on her heel to head back to the middle of the arena, a dark figure stood before her at the end of the tunnel. Their vest was lit up, but not in the same way that Connie’s was. Connie touched her vest as she audibly gasped. She had been shot. 

Steven.

“I’m sorry...” Steven whispered with a smile. 

They had always been a team, how could he have shot her? Sure, Connie didn’t want him to make it easy for her. She had assumed he had a little more sympathy than that though. He didn’t even give her a chance to defend herself. It wasn’t fair to have shot her in the back - was it?

“You shot me!” Connie furrowed her eyebrows as she attempted to shout back as quietly as she could. If her pistol hadn’t been disabled she would have shot him back almost instantly. 

Her team had to win. 

“I kind of have to...that’s the game.” Steven was somewhat smug about his win. When going into the arena he certainly expected Connie to have caught him out first - not the other way around. 

“You shot me in the back!” Connie couldn’t help but feel as if her defeat was unjust. 

“You let your guard down.”

“ _ Excuse me _ ?” 

“You left yourself exposed.” Steven stated, making sure that Connie knew where she had strategically failed. It wasn’t as if he wanted to point out her combat errors, but there was always room for improvement. 

Connie glanced down at the small bar of light on the top of her gun, continuing to recharge as they spoke. It was nearly time for her to respawn. 

“You didn’t give me a chance.” Connie countered, irate that her plan of sneaking around had been ruined by no other than Steven Universe. She was a pretty competitive person and angered her that Steven had practically booted her out of the game for the next minute. 

“I guess I’m just pretty good at laser tag.” Steven shrugged with a small pout, boasting about his win. He had played the game in the past with the band, but this was certainly the best time that they had been together. Mostly because he got to be with Connie. 

“Do you always boast this much,  _ Universe _ ?” Connie cocked an eyebrow as she took a step towards him. 

“Do you always look this cute, um…” Steven attempted to flirt, realising that he didn’t know Connie’s surname. He had gotten this far without it and was suddenly overcome with a wave of guilt for never asking the question. It had never come up. 

“Maheswaran.” 

“T-that’s pretty.” Steven confirmed with a smile. 

“You can’t distract me from the fact that you just shot me!” Connie raised her voice slightly, realising what he was trying to do. Sure, he was just as attractive as usual but that didn’t mean he wasn’t terrible for having no remorse and shooting her. 

The reality was that Connie would have done the same thing with pleasure if the roles were reversed. 

“I can’t help it if I’m good at the game.” Steven shrugged again, pouting his lips and glancing off to the side. Of course he was going to have been smug about his slight win. 

None of that mattered as the top of Connie’s gun flashed twice to inform her that she had re-entered the game. Connie held the gun in front of her and pulled the trigger the second that it had recharged. 

Steven didn’t have any time to figure out what was happening in the situation as he gently touched his chest, the vest beginning to flash rapidly to inform him of his defeat. 

“There! Now we’re even.” Connie nodded as she placed one of her hands on her hips. 

Steven couldn’t quite believe that Connie had got him almost immediately. Admittedly, he should have seen the move coming. Connie was smart enough to pull that kind of stunt. Steven would have been lying if he had said that he didn’t enjoy the smug look that was spread across Connie’s face. 

“Hey!”

“It was only fair.” Connie shrugged. 

Steven thought about it for a moment. She was right. Of course she was right. Connie was always right. 

He glanced down at the gun and noticed that the bar of light had completely depleted. There was no way that he was going to have been able to have gotten her back in time. He had already been exposed too much and if Max or Jenny were to sneak around the corner then he would have been shot again. At least, when his vest and gun had recharged. 

“Oh well, guess I’m just going to have to get you back.” Steven grinned, more than ready to get her back as soon as his gun was recharged. 

“You’ll have to catch me first.” Connie teased with a small wink before bolting off in the opposite direction away from Steven. 

Steven’s eyes widened at the sight. 

She was fast!

Steven pushed off the floor into a sprint, attempting to catch up to Connie was going to be a hard task, but one that he was determined to do. Connie practically sprinted through the arena, she could hear the sound of Steven’s shoes slapping against the floor in an attempt to catch her up. She had to keep running. 

Steven could hear her giggling as he propelled himself forward. Unlike Connie, Steven didn’t quite have the running experience that he had. Most of his physical fitness came from skateboarding and bouncing around on a stage. Despite that, he pushed forward as Connie slowed herself down on the corners. 

It was surprising that neither of them had bumped into anyone else in the arena. It just went to prove how large the laser tag was. 

Just as Connie slowed for yet another corner, Steven reached out and grabbed ahold of Connie’s arm causing her to stop in her tracks and spin back towards him. Steven wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to do now that he had caught her considering his gun still hadn’t recharged. 

He gently let go of her wrist as they stood face to face under the neon lighting of the arena. 

“You caught me.” Connie sighed as she watched Steven attempt to regain his breath. 

“Yeah...” He breathed heavily as he stared at her with passion in his eyes. There was quite the tension between them that couldn’t have been matched by anything else. 

The two of them hadn’t even kissed since the morning after their night in L.A. They wanted to be with one another so badly that it hurt the both of them to have been standing opposite without going into the depth of their relationship. 

Sure, they had slept together, but that just seemed to reiterate their attraction for one another. Steven was more than ready to have taken her on a date and he finally had an idea that was starting to come to mind as to what he was going to have asked her to do with him. It was going to be fun. Nearly just as fun as laser tag, if not - more. 

Connie looked behind her and then back past Steven’s shoulder to make sure that there was nobody else in their vicinity. There was a noise of a laser blaster going off in the distance, but far enough not to have bothered them. She hoped that Jenny and Max were kicking ass as she inputted her team effort in another way. 

There was a slight alcove in the wall, a hiding space for people who wanted to play the game strategically or for the people wanting to take cover from their opponents. Either way, it was the perfect location for Connie to grab the front of Steven’s chest plate and pull him inside the gap in the wall. Steven didn’t hesitate to allow himself to be pulled in.

Steven immediately knew what was about to happen, or at least he had anticipated it. Something he had been waiting for since their last encounter with one another. Their last encounter that included kissing of course. 

Steven practically dropped the gun to his side as Connie got as close to him as possible in the small space. Once again, they craved the touch of one another. They craved the taste of one another on their lips. The new feeling that both of them experienced when around each other was drug-like. They needed their fix. 

“You’re  _ really _ fast.” Steven laughed, commenting on her running ability and stamina. His heart was still racing. 

“I did track in high school.” 

“I’m not much of a runner.” Steven snorted. The only running he did was away from his mental health issues and running out of money. 

“You still caught up.” 

“You let me.” 

“No I didn’t.” Connie shook her head. Of course she slowed down for Steven, what would have been the fun if they didn’t catch one another? If they hadn’t caught up then they wouldn’t have been so close. 

“Okay,  _ sure _ .” Steven purred with a chuckle, brushing her hair away from her shoulder. It was somewhat warm inside of the arena and they had both taken to sweating ever so slightly from both the lighting and the run. 

The lighting and heat reminded Steven of the stage. It wasn’t as if it wasn’t something that he hadn’t been subject to time and time again. 

“So, have you figured out where you’re taking me on that date yet?” Connie raised an eyebrow, interested to know if he had sorted something out within his mind. 

“Mmm, I already know where I’m taking you.” 

“Where’s that?”

“It’s a surprise.” Steven chewed his bottom lip. He had a brief idea where he could have taken her. To Steven, he could have taken her anywhere in the world as long as he got to spend his time with her. 

“Okay. I’ll believe that.” Connie was certain he had no idea where he was going to be taking her on their first official date. All she knew was that it was probably going to have been during the time in which they were in Grand Rapids. 

It really could have been anything. 

Steven couldn’t quite handle continuing to be teased with her words. Not only that, but he was sort of hoping that if he were to kiss her that she would have stopped talking about the date. He didn’t quite want to admit that he was kind of nervous about the whole thing and certainly couldn’t stop pondering on the idea of where he was going to have taken her. 

Steven leant in for a kiss, their plastic chest plates pressing into one another. He found his spare hand and moved it to the side of her neck to help guide the kiss. Connie couldn’t help but feel slightly sensitive in that area after the lovingly visible bites he had made along her neck a few days ago. 

Connie made sure to kiss him back just as passionately as he had intended the kiss to be. They had certainly gotten used to kissing one another. It no longer felt taboo to share a kiss. They both wanted that attraction as much as the other. 

The somewhat loud music blasting around them and the distant sound of their teammates blasting lasers at one another was the only thing that they could hear as they found themselves lost in the kiss as if it was the only thing they could do to escape from reality. The sheer need to be near one another in the way that proved both emotional and physical attraction. 

Connie kept releasing herself from his lips, Steven going back for more several times before they finally stopped. They smiled on their lips. A feeling that they had felt many every single time that they had made that connection. 

It had only been a few days since Connie had woken up in a bed beside Steven, his desperate attempt to treat her like an angel as he continued to kiss her. Unfortunately, he had even decided to kiss her whilst she was on the phone to her mother. 

Not cool, Steven. 

How was he supposed to know who someone was speaking to on the phone? Thankfully, it didn’t take him too long to clock onto the fact that it was certainly something that he didn’t want to get in further trouble for.

Connie glanced down at the vest and noticed that Steven had regenerated the life that she had only just taken away. He stared at her, completely unable to do anything other than think about kissing her again. Steven continued to be so wrapped up in his infatuation with her. He wanted to be with her. 

“We should stay here for the rest of the game.” Steven cooed, not quite ready to let Connie go. Connie kissed him quickly on the lips, making sure that she didn’t overstay her welcome. 

“I’m not paying twenty-five dollars just to kiss you in a corner when I can do that for free.” Connie sniggered. 

“Oh. Right. Yeah, this place was pretty expensive.” Steven furrowed his eyebrows, remembering quite how much he had spent on the game of laser tag. 

“Worth it.” Connie backed away from Steven before checking either side of the corridor for anyone that could have been coming. 

Connie grinned as she noticed Steven still completely in a trance over the kiss. As she backed away she didn’t hesitate to lift the gun and shoot it directly at Steven’s chest catching him completely by surprise. Steven’s eyes widened at his chest, noticing he only had the one life left. He certainly had been played by Connie - well. 

“Later,  _ Universe _ .” Connie winked, Steven barely able to see with the reflection from her glasses. Connie took a step forward before breaking off into a run, Steven still stood in complete shock. He couldn’t move. 

She was playing with him again. The need to beat him in laser tag suddenly became quite the game of flirtation. As much as he wanted to chase her down and find her once again, he needed a moment to catch his breath as his life regenerated. 

He allowed himself to fall back on the wall as he clenched onto his shirt by his chest, smiling up at the neon lights above him as a smile spread across his face. 

Steven’s heart was full of love. 

Connie continued to jog through the arena trying to find out if there was anyone else she could have blasted with the laser gun other than Steven. She certainly had beaten him at his own game, quickly getting her own back. He was easily distracted when it came to Connie and she owned it to the best of her abilities. 

It was hard to find where everyone else was when the arena was so big, but eventually came across Buck who she was quick to shoot without him even noticing that she was there. Buck stood in shock as she stepped past into another section of the maze. As far as she was aware - the girls were winning. 

Finding Max and Jenny in the arena proved to be a harder task than she thought and upon a regroup of the three of them it proved that they were doing a lot better than the boys. They knew that they were going to have won. They certainly wouldn’t have let them take advantage. 

Max was pretty impressed with Connie’s abilities to sprint around the arena and had seen her dash past a few times. Even if any of the boys wanted to catch up with Connie - it was unlikely that they would. 

Unless they were Steven, then she would have happily have slowed down so that she could have gotten a kiss out of the sacrifice. 

Connie must have shot Buck and Sour Cream several times before the end of the game. Max and Jenny claimed that they had managed to corner Steven several times - he wasn’t very good at keeping himself quiet. It seemed as if he had almost announced his presence behind them every single time that he had been behind them. 

The game came to a swift end, realising that the hour that they had each paid for to spend time in the game was short lived and they wanted more of the team building exercises to pump up their spirits for the show in the evening. Either way, they knew that they would have been prepared to play just as they had done time and time again. 

Max, Jenny and Connie had a quick win, absolutely decimating the boys when it came to points. It seemed as if their ability to have been a stealthy team of ninjas worked out successfully. 

The band grabbed sandwiches with Max and Connie at a local sub restaurant and made their way back to the venue to set up. Throughout this time Connie and Steven had spent a little far too long stepping into each other’s personal space. Now that Max knew what was going on, it seemed a lot more obvious to her that they had been flirting this whole time. 

Perhaps now that she knew it had become a lot more obvious? Max was on Connie’s team and wanted to make sure that she supported her in every way possible. If that meant trying her hardest to distract the band from Steven and Connie’s line of sight when they were a little bit too close then she would. She wanted to do everything she possibly could to make sure that Connie was enjoying herself on the trip, especially since she was the one who convinced her to come across the states. 

If being with Steven was the thing that was going to have made the trip for Connie then Max wanted nothing more than to make that happen. She was just glad that Connie was having a good time, always worried in the back of her mind that she may not have been enjoying herself amongst the band. It wasn’t exactly as if she had been very ‘active’ when it came to the shows. 

Max was still determined to get her into a mosh pit. 

“Tomorrow.” Steven nodded at Connie as he sat beside her on the side of the couch at the back of the venue after the show. 

“Tomorrow?” 

“I have a plan.” 

“A plan?” Connie sounded a little bit nervous. 

“It’s going to work out, I promise.” 

“That doesn’t exactly fill me with confidence.” 

“It doesn’t have to. It’s going to be fun!” Steven insisted, finally deciding on something that they would have been able to do together. Something that she may have already suggested without realising. 

Steven had thought of a plan to get him and Connie away from the rest of the band and as long as he had a conversation about it with Max then all would have been fine. Right?

Well, it would have been fine - if Steven had any idea as to what he was doing... 


	16. Grand Rapids, MI

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven has an encounter with a fan that ruins his whole day.

“So, what do you think?” 

“Roller skating?” Connie cocked an eyebrow as she stood beside Steven inside of the dimly lit room. The carpet below her was reminiscent of an old bus seat. There was a sound of arcade games buzzing in the background. The somewhat musty smell of someone burning popcorn. The humdrum of chatter and wheels rolling against the rink. 

“Yeah! You said you’d done it before and wanted to go again so I thought it would be a lot easier for you than skateboarding!” Steven stepped to the side of her as he explained his plan for their first date. When they had snuck away from everyone after driving to Grand Rapids she certainly hadn’t expected...this. 

It wasn’t to say that it was a bad thing, but it wasn’t what she had pictured Steven to have picked. Who was she kidding? He was a dork. 

“Is this really what  _ you _ want to do?” Connie was a little confused, especially since yesterday he had been very much against the idea of doing such a thing. Four wheels and a board were what Steven thrived with, he had never tried roller skating. 

“Well, I thought it would be fun. We could always-” 

“No, it’s okay. We can do this.” Connie assured with a smile, noticing his face drop at her expression. All he wanted was to have done everything he possibly could have done to make it the best date he could have done under the circumstances. 

Max had been a big help in his plan and he couldn’t have thanked her enough. Poor Max was sitting back in a motel room watching Netflix all day pretending to hang out with Connie so that she was unavailable to be with the band. 

‘You owe me big time,  _ Universe _ .’ was a line that slipped from Max’s mouth as she pushed him in the chest with her finger. Steven would have been lying if Max’s words didn’t irk him slightly, they were reminiscent of what Connie would say to him. He wondered what made them both use his last name to address him. 

Steven had managed to get away from his band by simply telling them how he didn’t feel that well and wanted to get some rest before the show in the evening. None of them would have argued with that. They needed their frontman if they were to have played a show. 

They had already woken up early to make a four-hour detour to Urbana to visit a house that Buck insisted was a key part of emo history. Even Max was excited to have visited the house with the number ‘704’ on the outside of it. When they all stood outside to have a look and take pictures, Connie stood in the background ever so confused as to why the white house that was falling apart had anything to do with anything. 

She wasn’t quite sure if it had been worth the detour, but everyone else seemed to think it was the best thing that they had seen on the tour so far. Connie was confused. Something something _Mike Kinsella._

Either way, Connie was now standing on the outside of a roller rink waiting for Steven to put his skates on. She glanced back over to him, noticing that he had stuck his tongue out slightly whilst tying up the laces on the front of the skates. It seemed as if it was the little things that made Connie find herself wanting to be with him. She smiled down at the man who was just as cute as he was when he asked her what her favourite Star Destroyers song was the first time that they had met. 

Steven didn’t want to admit how nervous he was as he undid his laces and tied them up again around three times. It seemed as if his hands weren’t working well enough to communicate with his brain. He had never been roller skating before. 

“Are you okay?” Connie questioned as she looked down at him as he finally pulled the bow tightly, getting it correct on his fourth try. 

“Y-yeah, I’m fine!” Steven looked up and smiled, realising that now he had finally put the skates on he was going to have to stand up on his own two feet. It wasn’t quite as easy as that though - he didn’t usually have wheels strapped to his feet. 

He gripped onto either side of the bench he was sat on and chewed the inside of his lip. How was he supposed to get up? 

“Need a hand?” Connie smiled, trying to keep her potential snigger to herself. She didn’t want him to think she was belittling him. She held both her hands out for him to hold if he so desired. 

Steven looked around the room anxiously before reaching up and gripping tightly onto Connie’s hands. Connie pulled him up off the seat as he wobbled. Connie couldn’t help but laugh at his expression that only showed a face of fear. He didn’t quite look as if he was going to enjoy himself. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Connie smirked, holding onto his hands. She could only imagine this was exactly what she had looked like when he had gotten her to step onto his skateboard. 

Connie wasn’t quite sure why Steven had opted for roller skating, it was clear that it wasn’t something that he would have enjoyed. That didn’t matter - Connie had said that it was something that she used to do in the past. She was going to have been good at it, it was going to be fun. 

Besides, he had already claimed the day before that he was pretty scared of the idea. Was he that short of date ideas? 

“I’m fine.” Steven sighed before staring at Connie with a deadpan expression. “You won’t let me fall - right?”

“You’ve caught me a few times now, I think I’d be inclined to return the favour.” Connie nodded. Desperate to want to make him feel comfortable both around her and the roller rink.

It was easy. Steven had managed to stand up.

Now he just had to move. 

Connie let go of one of his hands, she didn’t quite expect to be the one somewhat leading the date but she was happy to do so. His hand was clammy and she was sure he was more nervous about having to skate than he was about being on a date with her. 

“We're going to be taking it slow? Aren't we?” Steven cocked an eyebrow as he looked over at the rink where people were practically flying around the area. 

“Of course we can.” 

Is this what Connie saw when they were at the skatepark? Why did rollerskating look so terrifying in comparison to skateboarding? He had fallen off his skateboard countless times in the past that if he were to fall from the skates it shouldn’t have bothered him that much. Perhaps it was the case of being used to the skateboard a little too much? He wasn’t sure. Regardless - he was terrified. 

Connie took a step back on the carpet, they weren’t that far away from the roller rink and it would have taken a few steps for him to have made his way over there. She held onto him tightly as he slowly took each large step as if he was an astronaut on the moon. 

“You can hold onto the side if you like.” Connie offered as they were about to approach the rink that Steven liked the idea of being able to skateboard on, except when it came to being on eight wheels the desire went away. 

Steven nodded silently, a little bit too nervous about having to go into the rink. Why had he suggested something that he knew he would have been terrified of? It was all about Connie. He thought it would have been something that they both would have enjoyed. 

Steven was used to his skateboard. Connie had been on rollerskates...a few times. 

He was trying to…

“Careful!” Connie chuckled as Steven took one step onto the rink and nearly fell on his ass, immediately letting go of Connie’s hand and throwing himself into the side. He held on tightly, not wanting to move his legs anymore. 

“T-this is...oh wow.” Steven snorted nervously as he looked back at Connie in embarrassment. This certainly wasn’t how he had planned a first ‘date’ in his head. He hadn’t planned it at all. 

“Come on, it’s fine. It just takes years of falling on your ass, remember?” Connie laughed as she held out her hand once more. 

“Did you spend years falling on your ass?” 

“Nope. I’ve been rollerskating twice.” 

“Wait. What?” Steven’s face dropped, still a little too afraid to let go of the side of the roller rink to place his hand in Connie’s. 

“Well, I’m not a professional skater or anything. It was just a fun activity my friends and I did a few times.” Connie shrugged, suddenly understanding as to why Steven would have wanted to have taken her here. 

“Oh. Hm.” Steven chewed his bottom lip. He had made a horrible mistake. 

“Wait. Did you think I had done this as much as you've skateboarded?” Connie pushed her lips together in an attempt not to let out a small snigger. She didn’t want to make Steven feel bad about it, but it certainly was funny. 

“Well...I...yes!” 

“Oh. I mean, I’ve done it enough to know what I’m doing. Come on, it’s fun!” Connie held out her hand once more, feeling somewhat guilty that Steven had gotten the wrong idea about roller skating from her yesterday. 

He didn’t have any other ideas. He had always claimed to have been such a romantic and yet there he was with no ideas. 

Steven felt a little embarrassed as he reached out and held onto Connie’s hand, incredibly nervous to let go of the side of the rink. He took a deep breath as he took up straight, one hand on the railing and the other threaded between Connie’s fingers. 

“Was it this scary the first time you did it?” Steven’s eyes widened as he stared down at the floor. 

“How scary is it?”

“Eleven.” 

“Out of?”

“Ten.”

“Oh. Isn’t skateboarding way harder than this? Connie questioned as she attempted to coax him off the railing by holding out her other hand. He hesitated before reaching over and holding onto her. 

“I don’t know.” Steven looked at her with panic in his expression as he forced a slight smile. 

Steven wanted nothing more than to have made his day with Connie the best day that she could have possibly had. It didn’t seem as if his nerves would have been able to make the day into what it could have been if he had bucked up his ideas and managed to come up with an activity a lot better than roller skating. She probably thought he was an idiot for the suggestion. 

“One step at a time. Just pretend you’re skateboarding.” Connie shrugged as she let go of his other hand and began to skate, pulling him along behind her. 

Steven took a deep breath as the skates began to move. Just pretend he was skateboarding - sure, he could have done that. Although, as much as he wanted to have concentrated on the skates below him, he couldn’t stop staring at the girl in front of him who was helping to drag him around the rink. 

Steven glanced down at Connie’s skates, noticing how she moved. He mimicked the action, figuring out the best way to move his feet. 

“See, pretty easy - right?” Connie smirked as she pulled him along. Steven couldn’t help but grin at his achievement as he watched her turn around to smile at him. 

She was gorgeous and he had never been so lucky in his entire life to have been spending the day with her. He couldn’t quite put into words how much he had wanted to have been with her the entire time on tour. She had become the one thing that he thought about day and night between shows. 

“Yeah…” Steven slurred, completely distracted as Connie noted that they had made it a whole lap around the rink without either of them falling on their ass. It had been incredibly impressive, despite their slow speed. 

It didn’t take long for Steven to have started to get used to the sensation of being on the roller skates. It certainly didn’t feel like skateboarding. If he could describe it in any way it would have been described as two tiny skateboards strapped to his feet. 

He hated it. 

He was grateful for Connie being able to guide him around the rink. He knew he wouldn’t have been able to have done it without her. Sure, he was kind of embarrassed about picking the activity when it was something that he wasn’t quite sure if he would have enjoyed. 

Although, that didn’t seem to matter after they had been around the rink a couple of times. Steven’s nerves began to slip away, the whole experience making him laugh. He watched Connie laugh at him too for the silly little comments that he made or the nervous faces he pulled when he was about to slip. No matter what, she would have been there to make sure he didn’t fall. 

“See, it wasn’t that bad.” Connie nudged Steven with her whole body whilst sitting beside him, taking off the skates as she spoke. 

“It was still pretty scary.” Steven laughed as he nudged her back gently, undoing the tight knot that he had previously pulled hard enough for it to have stayed on for a while. 

“You did it though.” 

“I did.” Steven nodded with a small smile, happy to have heard her encouragement. 

Steven slipped his red Vans back on as Connie began to tie up her Converse, he noticed that even after a couple of days the white foxing of her new shoes was starting to have gathered dirt. He could only assume it was from the sticky floors of the venues they had visited. 

Steven checked his phone to make sure that he didn’t have any texts from the band questioning why he wasn’t back in the motel room they had booked for the night resting. He felt a lot of guilt within him regarding lying to the band - but he was desperate to have hung out with Connie. There was still quite a bit of time before he would have had to have made his way to the venue to start to set up for the show. 

“So, do you...want to go and get something to eat?” Steven questioned as they stood outside of the roller rink. 

“Do you have something planned?” Connie cocked an eyebrow as Steven sat down on the small brick wall with deflation. 

“Not really. No.” Steven sighed, running his fingers through his hair as Connie sat beside him. She was a little bit confused as to why he had been so down on himself since they had gotten to the rink. Did he not want to be there? Connie knew he had been worried about the skating part of the trip, but she wasn’t quite sure about what else had been running through his mind. 

“Are you okay?” 

“I’m  _ really _ sorry, Connie.” Steven made his apology with a sigh, feeling somewhat defeated by the day. 

“What for?” Connie furrowed her eyebrows, quite a few things running through her mind as to what he could have been apologising for. None of which filled her with any confidence. 

“I screwed this whole date thing up, didn’t I?” Steven chewed the inside of his lip, feeling completely out of his depth when it came to dating. It wasn’t as if he had ever been on a date before. He liked Connie enough to be terrified of doing the wrong thing. 

“What? No! I’m having loads of fun!” Connie insisted, quick to place her hand on Steven’s arm to feel some kind of connection between them both. The innocence of their touches feeling incredibly different from what they had experienced back in L.A. 

“Really? I just...I went with the first thing that came to mind.” 

“I could tell - but it was fun.” Connie smiled sympathetically as she held onto him, seeing the sadness in his expression. Connie had certainly noticed the fact that he had gone with the first not-so-generic first date idea that came to mind and ran. It didn’t matter, Connie had enjoyed herself. 

“I should have let you win skeeball. You would have been much better at finding something for us to do on a date.” Steven laughed.

“Yeah, you  _ should _ have let me win skeeball,” Connie confirmed before smiling. “-But, I’ve really enjoyed hanging out with you. I don’t think it mattered what we had done, I just like spending time with you.” 

The words hit Steven like a ton of bricks. A soft ton of bricks with lots of love to give. He couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. It wasn’t quite something that he had ever heard before. 

“I like spending time with you too.  _ A lot _ .” Steven looked up and smiled at Connie, placing his hand on top of hers that was already balancing on his opposite arm. 

“Also, you were  _ very _ adorable on skates.” 

“You were  _ really _ good.” Steven complimented as he couldn’t take his eyes off her as they sat together. 

“You were  _ really _ bad.” Connie teased. 

“Hey! That’s uncalled for.” 

“True though.” 

“Hm, I guess you’re right.” Steven sniggered, somewhat enjoying the taunt. 

He tilted his head slightly as he looked at Connie, not quite believing that out of everyone on the planet she had chosen him to go out on a date with. She had chosen him to spend time with. She had chosen him to kiss. She had chosen him to have sex with…

“Still up for some food?” Connie smirked back, noticing that he had forgotten the premise of their original conversation. 

“Always.” 

Steven felt proud to have been walking around the city with Connie’s hand in his. Although there was no definition to their relationship it had been nice to have been able to be close to her in a public setting. It wasn’t as if she was embarrassed about being with him and that had felt fantastic. 

They had decided to head to a small cafe on a street corner, what they assumed would have been a quiet location. They didn’t let go of one another’s hand the entire time until they found themselves sitting opposite at a table with one another after ordering coffee and cake. Despite not holding hands, for anyone passing it would have been hard not to notice their legs tangled up with one another underneath the table. 

Steven leant his chin on his hand as he stared at her from the opposite side of the table, showing off his infatuation with the girl as she sipped on the coffee he had brought with his near-to maxed-out credit card. 

“Do you always stare?”

“Only at you.” Steven smirked as she placed the coffee back down in front of her. 

Connie mimicked his actions and rested her chin on the palm of her hand as she leant forward and stared back at him. He grinned at the gesture, looking just as adorable as he had done the whole time that she had known him. He hadn’t stopped flirting with her for the entirety of the day and as much as she thought she would have done, she wasn’t sick of it one bit. She loved him treating her as if she was the only person on the planet. 

Going to the roller rink had been a fun experience for Connie and admittedly it had been fun for Steven too once he had warmed up to it. He was more anxious about the fact of making Connie upset or accidentally disappointing her. The last thing he wanted to do was to make her want to leave.

He really didn’t want to mess it up. 

“Steven Universe?” A voice suddenly broke him out of his trance of both romantic and sexual fantasies as he stared at Connie from across the table. 

Steven blinked up in shock as he saw the figure of a girl standing beside him. Connie sat up straight, cocking an eyebrow at the incredibly rude women who had decided to interrupt their time together. He didn’t know who it was. He had no idea. 

“Hi?” Steven half-smiled, unsure on how to interact with the stranger. 

“You’re in the rock band?” The stranger attempted to confirm her suspicion of who he was, not quite hitting the mark. It made Steven a little sad that they hadn’t even gotten the name of his band correct, let alone the genre. 

“Yeah, that’s me!” Steven grinned awkwardly. He never minded meeting fans, but they always seemed to appear at the wrong times. Connie exchanged glances between both Steven and the fan, not ever having witnessed any kind of interaction outside of music venues. 

“Can I get a picture?” The stranger asked. Steven was never a jerk when it came to this kind of thing and he was always eager to please. He didn’t want to have been a dick and denied them the picture. 

“Sure!” Steven was happy to comply. The sooner they took the picture the sooner he could have gotten back to being with Connie. 

“Oh hey, could you perhaps take it for us?” The woman pushed her phone towards Connie, her expression dropping as she awkwardly took the phone from the stranger. 

“I guess…” Connie’s eyebrows dipped as she held the phone up and watched Steven’s awkward people-pleasing smile turn into a photogenic grin. It wasn’t as if she would have had much of a choice in the matter. 

“Make sure you take lots of pictures. I want to be able to pick the best one for my Snapster!” The girl instructed as she knelt slightly and got incredibly close to Steven. Close enough for Connie to have gritted her teeth in anger. 

Connie rapidly pressed her thumb against the capture button before quickly holding the phone out for her to take. She didn’t want to have to abide by anything else that the woman said and she certainly wasn’t going to sit around and watch as she got close to him. Connie was the one who was on a date with him, not the stranger. 

Steven sat uncomfortably as he watched the stranger scroll through all of the pictures awaiting their approval. 

“Wow, thanks! My mom is a huge fan of  _ The Gems _ \- she’ll never believe I met Rose Quartz’s son! My mom was at one of the shows  _ right _ before she died, how  _ crazy _ is that? Sorry, by the way.” The fan explained so casually in conversation, suddenly engrossed in her phone as she continued to flick through to find the best photo. “Well, anyway, thanks for the picture!” She waved before spinning on her heel and exiting. 

Connie was in complete shock, unable to quite comprehend what had just happened before her eyes. Were people truly that insensitive towards Steven and his situation? Was that something he had dealt with in the past? 

Steven watched as the fan disappeared, biting on his lip before tapping his finger anxiously against the table. It certainly hadn’t been the first time that had happened to him and he knew it wouldn’t have been the last. There had been no respect or humanity for his situation as if his mother was simply just someone that everyone knew through watching the music channel when they were younger. She was his  _ mother _ first before anything else. 

Nobody else saw that. Nobody else respected that. Nobody cared about Steven for who he was - just what he could have been. Just that he was Rose’s son and couldn’t quite have amounted to anything else. 

Steven didn’t want the comment to get to him. It was harmless. It was insensitive, but they didn’t know any better. He probably would have never seen them again in his life. He couldn’t let the little things like that get to him no matter how many times people were bound to say comments about him. 

“Steven…” Connie whispered, reaching over to place her hand on top of his for some kind of comfort. He stared out of the window for a moment before turning back towards her, appreciating the comfort from her touch. 

Although he could have never gotten used to fans of The Gems seeing him as nothing more than a piece of a heartbreaking story, he certainly didn’t want Connie to have experienced it. Why did it have to happen to him when she was with him? 

“Yeah?”

“Does that happen...I’m so sorry.” Connie couldn’t get to a point in which she was ready to finish her sentence. She was struggling to fathom what had happened. 

“It’s okay. It’s just...one of them things.” Steven shrugged, somewhat numb to the experience. It was something that he had to deal with for the better part of his entire life. That didn’t make it any better. 

“It shouldn’t be...I can’t believe she just-” Connie was seething with rage. Who could have possibly thought that what she had said was acceptable? 

“Connie, it’s okay - really.” Steven half-smiled as he placed his hand on top of hers and squeezed it gently. He didn’t want her to have been involved in whatever bullshit life had to throw at him. 

“Steven…”

“It happens. People can grieve, but I don’t think they’re speaking to the right person.”

“That wasn’t grief. That was just...rude!”

“There’s not much privacy when it comes to my mom’s...death. Everyone knows and everyone speaks to me as if it hurt  _ them _ more. It's kind of hard when you can just Boogle my life story. She was my mom...I-...nothing about her death changes that for me. I'm just...I don't get the same luxury they do about the situation.” Steven spoke with a slight croak, obvious pain in the way in which he said his words. 

“I’m so sorry, Steven.” Connie couldn’t help but allow her heart to ache for the young man. Nobody should have had to have gone through what Steven had been through. Especially not to have been reminded of it day in and day out by strangers who believed they knew her more than he did. 

“It doesn’t matter. As if I couldn’t make this ‘date’ any worse.” Steven sighed with a small chuckle. That wasn’t his fault in the slightest and yet he couldn’t help but blame himself for being...him. Connie shouldn’t have had to listen to whatever it was the fan wanted to say to him. Steven wasn’t after sympathy votes. 

“No, no! It’s fine, none of that was your fault. Don’t blame yourself for...that.” Connie continued to hold onto his hand across the table, wanting nothing more than to hug him tightly. He didn’t deserve whatever it was that seemed to have been handed out to him before. 

Steven sighed deeply, he wished he didn’t seem like such a sad sack around Connie when the reality of the situation was him being incredibly happy to have been around her. Sometimes he just...got this way and he couldn’t quite help it. He didn’t want to burden Connie with any of his emotional baggage. 

“Hey, at least we don’t have other dates to compare this one to.” Steven looked up with a slight smile. It was their first date and that meant that this was both the best and the worst date they've had together. 

“This one is still the best.” 

“And the worst.” 

“Technically, yes. In my mind? Nope.” Connie grinned, keeping a tight grip on his hands and never wanting to let go of him. 

“Thank you for understanding.” Steven wasn’t quite sure what else to say. He had never been with anyone before where they had to witness someone saying something like that to him. 

Shamelessly, he had slept with someone with the same outlook as the fan before. Multiple people. 

“Anytime.” Connie smiled back, understanding slightly more what it was like to be Steven. 

Of course, there were some things that she couldn’t quite ever understand. Although, with everything that she had seen him go through matched up with everything that she had seen online - he had lived an incredibly difficult life. Sure, being raised around money was one thing, but living a life under the difficult circumstances was another thing entirely. 

Steven shyly took her hand as they got a Toober back to the motel that he was staying in. He had felt embarrassed that the entire time had been plagued with bad thoughts and feelings. Firstly it came from not being able to rollerskate, messing up his idea of a date and the anxiety that came with it. Just as he thought that everything was getting better it seemed as if a fan had made his life a living hell. 

He hadn’t planned to subject Connie to any of that. Perhaps how people interacted with him was one of the many reasons why women never stayed around to spend time with him? He didn’t want to emotionally burden him and yet that seemed to have been the only thing he was good at when it came to relationships. 

Whilst in the back of the Toober, Connie had decided to sit directly beside Steven, she had noticed just how quiet he had become after the interaction with the fan. A quick disconnect from just about everything as his mind flooded with his thoughts. 

Yet, no matter what he thought there was still this beautiful girl beside him that was more than happy to have held his hand. She leant her head against his shoulder in the back of the car, showing him comfort that he hadn’t felt in a while. A part of him wanted to cry at the connection. 

There had been countless times in the past where he was convinced that Connie wouldn’t have left him straight after the tour. Although, it was in that moment where she had reiterated that point. She was willing to stick with him throughout his highs and his lows. 

He glanced down at his hand that he held loosely on the top of his thigh, Connie’s fingers thread through his as she cuddled up beside him. She wasn’t leaving anytime soon. 

As they made their way back to the motel there wasn’t a slight sense of them removing themselves from the other. Despite everything, they didn’t seem to speak much to one another since being inside of the cafe. It seemed as if Steven was saving his words for the show in the evening. 

“Please don’t tell me you guys are here to fu-” Max sat up in the bed in shock, noticing both Steven and Connie entering the room. Before she could even finish her sentence Connie was walking through the doorway shaking her head. 

Steven trailed in behind her, a vacant expression on his face. 

“We’ve just come to hang out before the show.” Connie confirmed, not quite saying much else about the situation as Steven slowly let go of her hand and sat down at the end of her bed in the room. 

“Oh. Right.” Max locked her phone as she sat up and furrowed her eyebrows at the situation. What had Connie done to him? Max had never seen the frontman look so upset. So quiet…

She didn’t quite understand why Steven hadn’t gone back to his room, considering that was where the band were more than likely expecting him to have been any minute when they made their return. 

“It’s only for a while.” Connie looked over at Max with a small nod, Max not quite able to catch onto what was going on. After everything that had happened, the comments that had been said - Connie didn’t want him to have dealt with it on his own. 

She was unsure if being with other people would have helped, but he certainly felt a different kind of emptiness within him. Although somewhat different, it was a feeling that he had experienced many times in the past. 

Max gripped onto Connie’s sweater and pulled her closer.

“What the hell did you do to him?” Max whispered as she glanced over Connie’s shoulder at the sad-looking man at the end of the bed. 

“I didn’t do anything. It was...there was a situation. It’s fine, I just...I didn’t want him to be on his own.” Connie gave Max a look of concern before glancing back at Steven. 

“Well, we can’t keep him! What about the band? Your little plan falls apart if he’s not ready for that show in the next hour.” Max gritted her teeth together as she spoke, pointing over at the man who had found himself in their room. 

Steven didn’t want to admit that he heard everything that they were both saying about him, too busy staring down at his thumbs. It was pretty embarrassing to have gotten this way when he was supposed to have been on a date. It wasn’t quite fair that the one day he wished for his mental health to have been stable it was the day in which it very much...wasn’t. Life just had it out for Steven Universe. 

“It’s going to be fine.” Connie assured her. 

She was correct. It didn’t take long for Steven to muster up the courage to head back to his room, Connie and Max exchanging looks of concern over the man. Neither of them was used to seeing him this way, so used to his image on social media or the one that they viewed up on the stage when he played. This was something entirely new. 

Connie had all sorts of thoughts running through her mind when it came to Steven and his situation, finding herself scrolling back through the pages about him that she could find online. It felt as if she was invading his privacy by doing so, immediately closing the page after she had scrolled halfway down the page. She certainly didn’t want to base her assumptions off the man from the pages that she had read online. 

When it was time for the show, Steven still didn’t quite look any better. It helped for their cause, the band genuinely convinced that he wasn’t feeling well in the slightest. They would have been able to pull through the show, but it would have been an early night for them all. Well, at least for Steven. 

He wanted to get the show over and done with and then head back to the motel. Nothing more and nothing less. He wasn’t even willing to stick around to meet any of his fans as he usually did. He didn’t want to be in the spotlight for any longer than what was required of him for work. 

This time, when Connie had watched him play on the stage the emotion in which he exhibited was a lot different from the previous nights. Although a lot of his songs expressed what seemed to have been pent up anger and frustration, he always seemed to have ended them with a smile. 

As Steven shouted into the microphone, Connie began to listen to the emotion in his voice. The sheer anger that he held within him about the situations throughout his life. He was singing about them. It seemed as if they were the only release he had from the pain he held deep within him, covered up by twinkly tones and silly titles. 

Just as predicted, as soon as the show was over Steven made his way back to the motel as soon as possible. He wasn’t willing to stick around for any longer than what he had to. Max had decided to join the band in hanging out together for a while, whereas Connie had decided to go back with Steven to the motel. 

This time, making their way back in the Toober they had sat on opposite sides of the backseat. It wasn’t because they didn’t want to be close, but Steven hadn’t quite made an effort to get close to her as he had done so many times before. In a way, Connie felt slightly hurt at the gesture, but with his vacant stares, she knew it wasn’t his fault. It wasn’t her fault either. 

As the Toober dropped them off, Steven went and sat down on a small wall that surrounded the parking lot of the motel. He needed somewhere to sit so he could roll the joint that he so deserved for the day that he had. Connie went and sat beside him in silence, not quite knowing what else to do. She held her hands in the Star Destroyer’s hoodie she was wearing as she watched him roll the joint. It seemed to have been something he had done copious amounts of times in the past. 

Steven didn’t say a word as he placed the joint between his lips and dug around in his pocket to find a lighter. For someone who was once embarrassed about smoking in front of Connie, that fear seemed to have gone completely out of the window. She didn’t mind and even if she had, at that moment Steven wasn’t quite sure whether or not he would have cared. 

“I know you’re not here to smoke.” Steven grumbled as he took an extended puff of the joint between his fingers before leaning his elbows on his knees for support. 

“I just wanted to...hang out.” Connie shrugged, as much as Steven valued his alone time after a show he was more than happy to allow her to join him. He very much enjoyed being in her presence, even when it didn’t quite seem like it. 

“Even when I’m smoking?” Steven cocked an eyebrow, knowing that Connie was internally against his bad habits. He had only seen her getting drunk once. Even then, she was tipsy more than anything else. 

“Do you want me to go?” 

“N-no. I want you to stay.” Steven glanced over to her as he took another hit. He certainly didn’t want her to leave any time soon. 

They shared a moment of silence as Connie took in the herbal smell of the joint he was smoking. She could only assume with the amount of second-hand smoke she was inhaling there was a chance she could have become contact high, but she wasn’t quite sure how it worked whilst outside. 

“I’m here if you need to...talk about things. I hope you know that.” Connie offered the ability to listen. She wanted to make sure that he was aware that he could trust her when it came to mental health.

“I’m not very good at speaking about it.” Steven half-smiled with a chuckle. 

“That’s okay too. I’ll just...I’m happy to be here if you don’t want to be alone.” Connie confirmed, offering her companionship. Steven was very much appreciative of the gesture. He couldn’t help but feel somewhat better about his bad day when he had someone like Connie beside him. 

“I’m so lucky I met you.” Steven smirked as he looked over at her, he truly was grateful for having the opportunity to have met Connie. 

“I can’t believe…” Connie stopped her words. 

“What?”

“Well, we’re still hanging out. Most people don’t stick around this long.” Connie admitted, most of the boys in college falling off her radar after a few kisses. It wasn’t as if she spent a lot of time pursuing boys. 

“Tell me about it.” Steven snorted slightly. If anyone knew about people not wanting to stick around - it was Steven. 

Steven took another puff of the joint, the contents slowly going to his head. There was a tension in his shoulder that had slowly been dissipating with every breath. Steven glanced up at the streetlight, there was nothing that he wanted more than to have been slightly happier in the presence of Connie. He didn’t want to have seemed like such a downer. 

He couldn’t quite help going into a completely different headspace over the bad day he had experienced. Surprisingly, it had taken more days on tour than it usually did to have some kind of emotional crisis. To have gotten to the fifteenth show and only just conclude that his mental health had been creeping up on him was incredibly impressive. Steven was convinced that with Connie being there he had managed to suppress whatever feelings he would usually hold on tour, replacing them with the beautiful distraction that was Connie. 

Steven reached over and placed his hand on Connie’s knee, using his finger to make a circle as he usually did when he required some kind of comfort from her. She gently placed her hand on top of his as he turned it around so they could slot their fingers together.

Just like most of the previous nights on tour, he had spent a lot of it looking over at her in the crowd. As beautiful as always. Even in his current mindset, he welcomed the distraction that was Connie, the one thing he wanted to focus on rather than whatever was beating him senseless within his mind. There was nothing better than to have been playing with her in the audience. She had been there the entire tour to keep him company at each of his shows. Connie had been the focal point of each of their shows. 

She looked over to him, he was still somewhat scruffy from the show. Where he had sweated throughout the show his hair was all over the place and his shirt certainly wasn’t as neat as it once was. Connie reached over and adjusted the flannel shirt that he was wearing over his t-shirt, straightening it up the best she could around the collar. It wasn’t so much about making sure the shirt looked neat - it was about getting some form of connection between the two of them. 

Connie had admitted to Max that she had liked Steven. It had been the first time that she had admitted how far her little crush for the frontman of an emo band went. She couldn’t have helped but feel as if it went a little bit past an innocent crush. This was so much more than that. 

Steven bit down on his bottom lip as he caught her eyes in his line of sight, exchanging a deep stare, practically looking into the other person’s soul. They saw more within one another than anyone had done so before. 

His eyes were somewhat heavy as he took another hit of the joint out the corner of his mouth, torn between Connie and his bad habit. He finally turned back and stubbed the remainder of the joint out on the brick wall, a slight part of him grimacing at the wastage. He stubbed it out just enough that he could relight it later. 

He glanced back towards Connie with hesitation, a burning question inside of his mind that he wanted to ask as to not have to be lonely. He didn’t want to be alone. 

“Do you...would you...is it okay if you stay with me tonight?” Steven furrowed his eyebrows as he asked, a little bit unsure how well his request would go down. 

“How?” Connie desperately wanted to say yes, but her pragmatic brain was quick to question his logic behind the situation. 

“Maybe we could stay in the van? You don’t have to, I just-”

“No, it’s okay. Sure.” Connie confirmed, squeezing his hand slightly as he spoke. 

Sleeping in the van? She wasn’t quite sure how much she approved of the idea. Was this still a part of their date? She didn’t think that sleeping inside of the tour van was romantic in the slightest, after having gotten a glimpse of what was inside in the past she was slowly starting to regret her decision. 

“I can always meet you out there later once everyone is back? I...I sleep in there a lot when I can’t sleep elsewhere. They won’t notice.” Steven shrugged, admitting part of his lifestyle that he wasn’t proud of. Admittedly, he was pretty used to living and sleeping inside of vehicles. His childhood proved that. 

“And Max...she’ll be happy to get the room to herself.” Connie smiled, a little internally upset that she wasn’t going to have been able to sleep in a bed that night. It didn’t matter, she would have been with Steven. 

“Sure.” Steven nodded in confirmation, a small smile creeping up the sides of his face at the thought of getting to spend yet another night with Connie. It didn’t matter where they were or what they were doing, he was just overly grateful to have been spending time with her. 

It was a couple of hours later that everyone had returned and Steven and Connie had eventually snuck out of their designated rooms. Well, Steven had snuck out anyway. Connie just told Max what she was doing which resulted in an overly tired groan. Connie was certain that Max hadn’t heard what she had said, her reaction was too calm of a response for what she had said. 

Connie had kept the Star Destroyers hoodie on with some shorts, if she was going to have been sleeping in the van then she wanted to have been as comfortable as possible. Steven was already sitting inside of the side of the van with the door opened as she approached. 

“Welcome to my humble abode.” Steven chuckled nervously as he stepped inside of the van and out of the way, urging for Connie to have joined him. She laughed slightly as she climbed inside and pulled the sliding door closed. 

The van was certainly old and there wasn’t quite a lot going for it in terms of aesthetics. The seats were somewhat ripped and stained from years of use. Connie was thankful that the only real lighting inside of the van was the half-broken yellow light on the ceiling and the streetlamp outside. She clambered past the seats and into the back where she had noticed Steven had laid out a blue sleeping bag. There certainly wasn’t enough room for both of them, she hoped that he had a plan. 

“It’s not exactly a five-star hotel, but hey, it’s better than the floor.” Steven smiled behind her, a part of him more than excited to have been spending the night with Connie. Connie recalled the memory back from one of the first nights that they had spent together. She certainly didn’t want to have to sleep on the floor again. 

“Anything is better than the floor.” Connie snorted as she sat down on the sleeping bag, Steven making his way over to join her. 

Steven had taken his flannel off and had thrown it over one of the seats in the front, leaving him in his white t-shirt with the star on the front of it. It was hard to picture him in much else considering most of his wardrobe consisted of around seven variations of that one shirt. 

“I’m sorry about everything that happened today. I...I didn’t want you to see that. I wanted you to have a good time.” Steven sighed as he brushed his hands through his hair anxiously. 

“I did have a good time. You don’t need to apologise.” Connie shook her head, unsure as to why he was continuing to blame himself. There was nothing wrong with roller skating and she loved spending the time with him. It wasn’t his fault that someone had come along and hurt him with their words. 

“Sometimes I get so caught up in my head. I hate it.” Steven had spent the past couple of hours attempting to rationalise his thoughts. He had come to a somewhat healthy conclusion in his head regarding it all. 

“It’s okay to have bad days.” Connie shuffled closer to him, making sure that he felt comforted within the moment. 

“I just don’t want to bring other people down.” 

“You make  _ emo _ music, Steven.” Connie laughed at his comment, finding the irony in it. 

“That’s different, it’s not about making people sad. It’s about making sad people feel a little less alone.” Steven mentioned, his reasoning and wording were mesmerizing. 

“Oh, wow. That’s...beautiful.” Connie was taken back by his words, attempting not to allow herself to yawn. She was incredibly tired from the long day they had. 

“It’s...yeah…” Steven blushed at her comment, he knew he could have been either incredibly successful in the way he spoke or was prone to failing miserably. 

Connie smiled over at him, once again shuffling closer. There was slight confidence in her action as she touched his chest and cuddled up close to him. Steven tried his hardest not to smile at her action but failed miserably. It wasn’t as if she could see his face anyway. 

Steven turned slightly, making himself as comfortable as possible as he lifted his arm and allowed Connie to lie down on his chest, hugging him around his torso in the process. Other than the morning after their night together in L.A., Steven had never cuddled with a girl before. He had never felt such a close connection to anyone before as Connie closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat. 

“Thank you for staying with me.” Steven smiled once again, unable to see her face but happy to have kept his arm tightly around her. 

“Anytime.” Connie smiled back, nuzzling herself into Steven’s t-shirt as she got comfortable enough to drift off to sleep. 

Steven glanced down at Connie with a smile. 

She was sticking around. 


	17. Indianapolis, IN

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a poorly hidden secret that's not so secret anymore...and maybe that's okay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uhhhh things get a little steamy. Like...um...roll down your windows steamy.

When Steven opened his eyes in the morning the first thing he noticed was his fingers being gently touched by soft hands. Her fingers lightly brushed against his as he had been holding her in his sleep. Steven’s neck didn’t quite enjoy the position he had been in throughout the night, but after looking down at Connie still cuddling him every instance of pain was destined to disappear. 

He wasn’t quite sure what time it was, but he knew it was the morning from the light breaking through the front of the van. The rest of the windows had a lot of tint on them to have been able to tell. As by ‘tint’, he meant black paint. It was a lot cheaper.

Steven stretched out slightly, Connie noticed his gradual movements, continuing to keep herself resting on his chest. She had gotten used to listening to his heartbeat. Connie continued to play with his fingers as they laid together in the back of the van. She had slept considerably well despite being in such a small space. 

“Morning.” Connie spoke quietly as she noticed his change in breathing and his movements. 

“Morning.” Steven grinned as he repeated her words, taking a deep breath in and stretching himself the best he could whilst seated. 

“That was nice.” Connie turned slightly, enough to look up at Steven who was once again in a position where his stubble had grown slightly more than she was used to. His eyes looked heavy, yet refreshed. Either way, he held her tightly with his usual lopsided smile as he looked down at her lovingly. 

“Think you could get used to sleeping in a van?” Steven chuckled. 

“No, but I could get used to sleeping with you.” Connie commented without even thinking about the words coming out of her mouth. She immediately realised that her words were both forward and somewhat suggestive, gasping slightly at her comment. 

“That has two very different meanings.” Steven snorted at the utterance, internally wishing that both meanings were the truth.

“Yeah…” Connie laughed nervously. She meant both meanings, despite not wanting to verbally admit to it. 

Connie finally sat up straight, pushing her hair out of her face and readjusting her glasses. Uncomfortably, she had been too tired to have bothered to take them off. She was surprised that they hadn’t broken after being snuggled up to Steven all night. 

Steven stretched once more before leaning his elbow on the back of the seat and holding his head up with his hand as he looked over at her with love in his eyes. He couldn’t quite believe how lucky he was to have been sitting in the back of the van with a girl he was beyond attracted to. He had cuddled with her all night and she was still there when he had woken up. 

It was a dream come true. 

Even after the bad day that Steven had experienced Connie had been there the whole time to see him through it. She had even agreed to comfort him throughout the night which was going above and beyond what he had ever expected from her - not that he had ever expected anything at all. 

Connie adjusted her hair with her fingers, wanting to look somewhat presentable without a hairbrush. It wasn’t working out the way that she wanted to as she felt a certain person’s eyes burning into her sweetly. She turned her head and noticed Steven with his head against his hand staring at her as he always did. His affectionate eyes that she had found herself falling for time and time again. 

“I can’t take my eyes off you. You’re the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.” Steven swooned, unable to quite comprehend his attraction for the girl. No matter what he did, he couldn’t help but look at her. 

Connie smirked shyly as she placed her hands on her knees. She shouldn’t have been nervous around Steven. She watched as his spare hand balanced itself on top of hers, touching her for what felt like the millionth time. 

“You’re not so bad yourself,  _ Universe _ .” Connie chuckled at her words, causing Steven to laugh back. Her words were coming from a place of genuine attraction and Steven knew that. She wasn’t exactly the best when it came to handing out compliments like he was. 

Steven coaxed her hand away from her leg, allowing him to trace circles with his finger around the top of her thigh as he looked at her. Connie wasn’t quite sure what he was doing, but what she did know was he was a complete and utter tease. He had woken up with Connie in his arms, causing his mind to travel as he had held her. 

“I guess our first date didn’t end so badly after all.” Steven was more than happy to flirt with her until the end of time. 

“It didn’t end badly anyway.” Connie laughed, Steven still completely unconfident with his dating abilities that he expressed the previous day. It was strange for her to know that Steven didn’t quite see the date as one that went well. She had been having a good time until the fan had disturbed them. 

“Well, I never got to kiss you.” Steven pouted as he continued to swirl his finger on her knee. Connie turned slightly in the seat to match his position. 

“You never asked.” 

Steven watched as Connie smirked, teasing him in return. 

“Do you want to make out?” Steven bit down on his lip as he asked. 

“That’s a  _ little _ more than a kiss.” Connie chuckled, respecting his honesty. 

“Are we allowed to make out on our first date?” 

“Steven, we’ve had... _ sex _ .” Connie spoke in a slight whisper, a little bit confused by his flirtatious logic. 

“So, is that a yes?” Steven gave a cocky smile, pushing his luck. 

Connie sighed heavily with a smile, rolling her eyes slightly and making Steven laugh. She leant forward and planted her lips against his, much to his surprise. Connie couldn’t believe that after sleeping together they had only kissed once. If anything, she would have only assumed they would have kissed more. It was no longer something that was considered awkward. 

Steven took the opportunity to lead the kiss. He had been forced backwards slightly, leaning into the kiss more than he would have liked. He found himself moving back to make himself more comfortable and Connie followed. Much to Steven’s surprise, she didn’t hesitate to clamber onto his lap, facing him as she continued to further the kiss. He hadn’t expected her to sit on him, hormones flooding through his body at the touch. 

Connie found herself with her hands either side of his face, their kisses becoming deep and passionate. Steven had a craving for the touch that only she could have provided, thinking about it whenever he had a spare second within his pacing thoughts. He knew that she wanted him just as much as he wanted her, spurring him on more to hold her closer. Steven found his hands on her hips. Connie didn’t mind, too focused on the feeling of her lips against him and the way her body slotted so perfectly into his as she sat on his lap. 

Steven’s hands travelled to the hem of the hoodie, feeling the bottom of her back as he crept underneath. It seemed as if she was wearing nothing more than the hoodie underneath, something that she had opted for when it came to comfort the night before. If anything, the feeling of her bare skin underneath the hoodie simply turned him on more. 

Connie felt Steven’s warm hands travel underneath the hoodie and continue to touch her bare skin. His calloused fingers made their way up her back, heading straight to where her bra would have sat. He was surprised to find that she wasn’t wearing one, continuing to kiss her with intent. 

Connie gripped onto his t-shirt, taking note of the way she subconsciously moved her hips against him to the beat of their kisses. When she had woken up that morning she hadn’t quite expected to have been kissing him the way that she was so quick. She hadn’t even had the chance to collect her thoughts before every horny one dominated her mind. 

The way he kissed her was soft as passionate, unlike when he had pushed her up against the cabinet in the recording studio. She still believed she had bruises from that experience that couldn’t have been matched by anything else she had done in her life. As much as she hadn’t minded at the time, the soft intimacy of their second time had been so much more rewarding. Steven had learnt his lesson, making sure to go slower in the back of the van to make sure they shared the same enjoyment for the pleasure. 

Connie held onto him as she felt his body pressed tightly against her, this certainly wasn’t the kind of thing she imagined when Max had suggested going on the tour. Steven continued to buck his hips into her as he grew harder from the touch, practically grinding himself against her as she moaned slightly against his lips. 

Steven moved his kisses to her jaw, he wanted to hear her whine again but this time not so muffled by his lips. He listened to her let out a long breath she seemed to have been holding as she felt his soft lips touch the sensitive part of her neck. He had already littered it with kisses before, resulting in her having to cover up the patterns he had made on her neck with a concealer. 

“Steven…” Connie cooed his name with a shiver, feeling him beneath her as they kissed. She once again felt his hands travelling from her back to her breasts, cupping them tenderly as he buried his face in her neck. She was sensitive to the touch, but after the pursuit he had made on her the last time he knew to be gentle. 

He sure knew what he was doing when it came to sexual acts and everything that surrounded them. Connie felt somewhat out of place as she allowed him to lead them both. He felt somewhat awkward asking for consent considering how much his anxiety-ridden self had done so many times in the past, but he just had to be sure. He unlatched his lips from her neck and placed his hands back onto her waist as he looked up to face her. 

“I have to ask...” Steven furrowed his eyebrows as he looked directly at her, he noticed that her face had gone slightly red. 

Connie smiled as she threaded her fingers through the back of his hair, keeping her arms resting on his shoulders as they looped around him. She kissed him softly on the lips, somewhat wanting to be in control of the situation. Steven allowed her to kiss him a few times, still awaiting verbal confirmation. 

“Yeah...I do.” Connie breathed heavily as she pushed their foreheads together, unsure as to how long she could have gone on without him inside of her as he had done back in L.A. 

Steven fell back into the habit of kissing her somewhat aggressively at the agreement of what would have happened next. He nipped at her neck as he eventually coaxed the hoodie up and over her head revealing her partially nude body. He couldn’t help but stop for a moment and stare in absolute wonderment over her figure. She truly was beautiful in every way. 

Steven was pleased that he had kept his final condom safely inside of his wallet. He took a mental note about picking up some more, he could never have been too sure as to when he would have had sex again. Whenever it was, he hoped it would have been with Connie. He liked to be prepared for whatever situation that may have sparked. 

Connie stepped off him for a moment to remove her shorts as Steven desperately attempted to get his belt buckle undone at the same speed. It didn’t quite work out to be as easy, but he had got there eventually. 

Once he had removed his pants enough to grant them both access she went back to his lap without a trace of hesitation. Steven could have kissed and teased her all day, except at that moment he wanted nothing more than to pleasure her in a way he couldn’t do solely with his kisses. Selfishly, he wanted satisfaction for himself too. 

It wasn’t long before they had switched positions on the back seat of the van, Connie lying down on her back as Steven held himself above her, continuing to kiss as they passionately moaned their names into each other’s skin. As much as Steven wanted Connie to take control of the situation, he wasn't quite sure how confident she was just yet. He was happy to take the lead. 

Steven was sure he was moving the van with his rhythm and his ability to make her whine in elation was satisfying for him to hear. He got a kick from the pleasure that he provided for her. One that couldn’t quite be matched by anything or anyone. She allowed him to put his hands wherever he pleased, granting him full access to her body as he lovingly pushed himself into her.

It wasn’t very long until they were both spent, both breathing heavily at what could have been rated by both of them as the best sex they had both had. Sure, it wasn’t as harsh and hot as the recording studio. Sure, it wasn’t as sensual as the second time around in the hotel. However, it was a mixture of the two. Sexy and sweet. 

Steven laid lazily on her stomach between her legs and held her tightly as she brushed his hair with her fingers. As much as she was conscious of herself being nude, they had already shared a few times without any articles of clothing. She doubted it would have mattered much as they caught their breath. 

Steven was a little shocked that sex with someone a third time could have possibly been so rewarding. He was more than ready to have stayed in the van all day holding her closely, whether that was in the nude or not. They were both currently swept away in their post-sex high as Connie stared at the ceiling, threading her fingers through his hair and massaging his scalp as she felt his stubble against her stomach. His eyes were closed as he held onto her, she could feel the smile on his lips against her skin. She too could have stayed in that moment forever. 

“I can’t believe this will all be over in just a few days.” Connie sighed as he finally got into a headspace where she could gather her thoughts. 

Steven’s eyes shot open as he looked up towards her, balancing his chin on her stomach. 

“What do you mean?”

“The tour. You’ve only got three more shows.” 

“Oh…” Steven felt a sense of deflation as he rested his head back onto her stomach, not quite wanting to think too deeply about what it meant for both of them. He desperately wanted to keep in contact with her after the tour, he wouldn’t have let this be something he was going to let go of. 

“Where do you live?” Connie suddenly questioned, taking Steven by surprise. 

“Me? I...a town not too far from Nashville.” Steven balanced his chin back on her stomach, wanting to be an active participant in the conversation. 

“Oh. Do you live with your dad?” 

“No, I have my own apartment. It’s not much, but it’s enough. My dad doesn’t live too far away - when he’s not on the road working.” Steven chuckled as he looked up at her as she continued to stroke his hair. 

“You have your own apartment?” Connie was interested to know more. It seemed as if she was still in college and he had figured out what he wanted in life. He was old enough to have been touring and own an apartment.

“Yeah, you’ll have to come and visit sometime.” Steven suggested with a smile as he reached over for her hand, threading his fingers between hers. They knew they would have to get up soon despite neither of them wanting to. They had to travel to Indianapolis before late afternoon, although the journey wasn’t that long in the car. 

“That would be nice. You can always come to my college too.” 

“Yeah?” Steven’s eyes lit up at the idea. She was suggesting future plans with him, something that he didn’t think a girl he had met on tour would have ever done. He couldn’t quite fathom her words. It had never happened to him before. 

“Sure! You might have to put up with Max showing you through her vinyl record collection though.” 

“I’m okay with that.” Steven grinned, more than happy to have just been invited in the first place. 

With much hesitation, Steven and Connie attempted to get dressed after picking up the clothes that they had lazily thrown on the floor of the van. After spending the night on the top of the sleeping bag, Connie regretfully glanced down at the floor realising how disgusting it was. She preferred the van when it was dark outside and she couldn’t see every discrepancy. 

It was hard for them to get dressed without latching onto one another’s lips again. Each kiss was matched with a small giggle between sloppily putting articles of clothing on. Neither of them was paying attention to much other than each other. 

Steven slowly slid the door of the van open, keeping his lips on Connie’s as they deepened the kiss, stepping out of the van in the process of laughing at one another. They were certainly more drunk on each other than they would have liked to have admitted. 

They continued to kiss each other, completely unaware of what was around them. 

Suddenly, a cough. Followed by…

“Man, we just wanted to know if you wanted pancakes.” 

“I think I’ve lost my appetite.” 

“Oh jeez…”

“Woah! Steven and Connie? Together? What a shocking turn of events! The plot thickens!” Max was the last to speak as she pointed towards the couple and spoke sarcastically. 

Steven disconnecting his lips from Connie and turned around to see the band stood in front of him. His jaw dropped in shock as Connie buried her head in her hands at Max’s response. Had she not heard her when she had said she was spending the night with Steven? 

Oh no…

Busted. 

“What a lovely morning we’re having!” Steven commented as sweat began to trickle down the side of his face, suddenly not feeling quite so great. 

“What were you two doing?” Jenny placed her hand on her hip and cocked an eyebrow.

“Bird watching!” Connie blurted out as Steven’s eyes widened at her response. He thought that was something they couldn’t say anymore?

“There aren't any birds in our van. It’s the incorrect habitat!” Buck folded over his arms. 

“Oooooooh Steven, your shirt is inside out.” Max pointed out bluntly as Steven stared down at his shirt, noticing the label sticking out of the side. 

“Whoops!” 

“This is just like Portland…” Sour Cream gasped. 

“This is nothing like Portland!” Steven countered in his defence, pointing aggressively at Sour Cream. 

“Are you sure? It sort of looks like Portland.”

“Yeah, it totally looks like Portland.” 

“This isn’t  _ Portland _ !” Steven shouted, gripping onto his hair. 

“What happened in Portland?” Max lifted a finger as she questioned, a little bit out of sorts with the conversation. 

“Nothing!” All four band members turned around and shouted at Max, catching her a little off guard. 

“Ooo touchy subject…remind me to never bring that up ever again.” Max giggled nervously as she stepped back. Connie was somewhat curious to know what happened in Portland that nobody seemed to have wanted to discuss it.

“So, you’re sleeping together now?” Jenny questioned as she pointed at both Steven and Connie. 

“Nope.” Connie pressed her lips into a thin line. 

“A little bit.”

“Steven?!” Connie shot an intense glare at him as he held onto the label that was sticking out of the shirt. 

“What? I’m not good at lying!” Steven panicked as Connie took a deep breath and buried her head in her hands once again in sheer embarrassment. 

“I am so shocked by this. Connie, I’m disappointed in your actions. Steven - you pervert. Fiend! How dare you dick down my best friend! Oh, the humility!” Max spoke in a sarcastic tone as she pointed at Steven and shook her finger. 

“ _ Dick down _ ?” Steven’s eyes widened as he held onto his chest. 

“What the-” Connie looked back up in horror. 

“Woah. Tone down the melodrama. We don’t have any grounds on judgement. Steven’s free to be whoever Steven wants to be.” Buck inputted into the situation as everyone exchanged glances once more. 

Steven and Connie couldn’t help but feel completely embarrassed by the situation. It seemed as if it was a situation that Steven had found himself caught out in throughout his past - but this was so much different. He needed to get the band to understand that at the very least. 

“Band meeting!” Jenny instructed, as much as she loved both Max and Connie’s presence this was certainly something that needed to have been discussed without them. 

The band spun on their heels and headed back towards the hotel room. Steven continued to hold the label on the side of his shirt in embarrassment. 

“I’ll see you later?” Steven half-smiled as he turned back, realising that he was probably about to receive a lecture about sleeping around on tour. The same one he had received countless times in the past. Connie didn’t need to know about that. 

“Yeah.” Connie smiled in response as she waved, watching him follow the rest of the band. 

Max came and stood beside Connie with her hands on her hips and joined her in watching the band disappear before their very eyes. 

“Well, that was an interesting turn of events.” Max sighed. 

“ _ Dick down _ ? Really?” Connie scowled. 

“I was trying to hype the drama, y’know? This is some prime-time television emo Shakespearan shit. Oh! Maybe like one of those reality TV shows on TLC.  _ ‘College girl fucks emo boy - shocking story! Sad songs are written about a sad fuck.’ _ ” 

“It wasn’t a ‘ _ sad fuck _ ’.” 

“Oh, I see - you  _ are  _ going to tell me the details now?” Max adjusted the beanie on the top of her head before pondering as she stroked her chin. “Wait. Save it. It’ll make good reality TV. All I need is a camera and we can sell it for hella cash.”

“Well, this is probably one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.” Connie sighed, taking off her glasses and cleaning them against the Star Destroyers hoodie. 

“How much do you think a Steven Universe porno is worth?” 

“Max…” 

“I’m curious, y’know? How famous is he  _ really _ ? Could we be the ones to make him  _ famous-er _ ? Get the camera close enough and he could have a famous pe-” 

“Max! Don’t finish that!” Connie gasped in horror. 

“That’s the sort of thing you say to someone who’s halfway through eating an under-cooked chicken, not someone who’s going to make you big bucks off your boyfriend’s peen.” Max shook her head before smirking, too caught up to have not spent her time teasing her best friend. 

“I wish you wouldn’t call him that.” 

“Peen? Would you rather I said  _ ‘ding dong big schlong’ _ ?” 

“No! Boyfriend! Don’t call him my boyfriend!” Connie shook her head, unable to cut off Max’s inappropriate words before she spoke. Max’s humour was hilarious at the best of times, but it sometimes grew frustrating to have been around. Connie would have loved her no matter what, but occasionally wished she wouldn’t have to hear words like  _ ding dong big schlong _ coming out of her mouth in such quick succession. 

“Sorry, it’s a little early to be throwing the b-word around when you’re only f-wording.” Max sighed before throwing her hands in her pockets and rocking on her heels, the both of them still stood by the van looking at the motel room door in the distance that the band had disappeared into. 

“It’s a little more than that.”

“You’re not in  _ love _ are you?” Max cocked an eyebrow before looking over at Connie with a huge grin. 

Connie stared down at the floor before throwing her hands into the front pocket of the hoodie. Connie had never been ‘in love’ before. Was it possible to be ‘in love’ after just a couple of weeks? What was this Disney bullshit? 

“N-no.” 

“Hm, you don’t sound so sure.” 

“I’m not sure! I just...I really like being with him.” Connie smiled at the thought as she gently scuffed the bottom of her Converse against the asphalt. 

“That sounds like you love him.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You said it with your eyes.”

“I wasn’t even looking at you!”

“I know, but I can tell. Ha! ConCon is in love!” Max cheered with a slight whisper, somewhat worried that the band may have heard through the door. Max began to poke Connie in her sides to irritate her further.

“I’m not!” Connie chuckled, gently swatting her best friend away. 

“You’re going red!” Max teased.

“That’s because I’m ticklish!” Connie pushed Max away a bit harder, causing her to get the message. 

Max stood still for a moment as Connie regained her breath before brushing the front of her hoodie. Max glanced back at the van and furrowed her eyebrows, connecting the dots in her mind. 

“Hold the fucking phone…” Max took a deep breath. 

“What?”

“Did you two get frisky in that van?” Max pointed behind her to the car as she pushed her lips together. 

“I…”

“Connie! I’m the biggest Star Destroyers fan there is and do you know how excited I was to get to ride in that thing the other day? Too excited! But you...you got to have sex with one of them in there? What the fu-”

“Max! I didn’t mean for that to happen, it just did!” Connie attempted to get Max to lower her voice, there were probably unsuspecting members of the public that didn’t want to hear what either of them was saying. 

“You are blowing my mind.” 

Connie wasn’t quite sure what else to say as she rested her back against the side of the van and groaned. Things didn’t need to be this complicated. Things didn’t need to be as they were. Steven and Connie were both adults and there was no reason why they couldn’t have been together. 

Was there? 

Steven had been dragged into the room and sat down on the end of one of the beds as the band took their places within the room. Jenny remained standing as she began to pace back and forth in front of Steven. 

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Jenny questioned, a little bit hurt that Steven didn’t have the confidence to speak to them. They were all best friends - why couldn’t Steven have told them? He had told them about women he had been with in the past, why was this so different? 

Steven felt a little grumpy, taken away from something that he was very much enjoying and being placed into a room of people who were there to belittle him. It wasn’t fair. He chewed on his lip, reluctant to answer. 

“Because of this...” Steven sighed, disappointed in his past actions. 

“You told us you weren’t having sex.” Buck spoke with a disapproving tone, a little upset that they had been lied to. Mostly upset that Steven felt as if he couldn’t have spoken to them about it. Were they that hard to speak to? 

“Well, I wasn’t when you asked!” Steven threw his hands in the air. He couldn’t have felt more embarrassed. 

“Dude, we would have only been looking out for you.” Sour Cream shrugged, on the same page as everyone else. 

It wasn’t as if the band were worried about what it was that Steven did in his own time, but it was certainly questionable with the number of women he had slept with on tour before. Steven had gotten himself in bouts of trouble a few times due to it and the band were only there to look out for him. 

Steven didn’t want them to know about his newfound relationship that he had built with Connie. They would have only related her to all of the girls in the past who had left him the morning after. The ones that had left him broken and alone time and time again. 

“You can do whatever you want, Steven. It’s not like we’re mad about it.” Buck nodded at Steven as he lifted his head and listened to the words of everyone around him. 

“You’re not?” 

“Well, Steven...I ain’t one to judge your tour lifestyle, but if you screwed anyone in that van I want it cleaned. That shit’s nasty.” Jenny shook her head in disapproval. 

“I’m calling shotgun.” Buck lifted his hand.

“I didn’t want to tell you because I’d only assume you’d think this is...like every other time. It’s not!” Steven spoke with a slight croak in his voice. He certainly had a track record for getting his heart broken, the band spending days consoling him until he moved onto the next girl who was ready to screw away his problems. 

The band exchanged glances with one another, sympathy immediately being felt for their frontman. They knew how desperate he had always been for love. He had always been on the pursuit of finding it. He truly did want someone to love him back the way he wanted to love them. 

Was that Connie? 

“You like her. You  _ really _ like her.” Buck huffed with a smile as he leant on the wooden chair he had sat backwards on as he faced Steven. 

“Huh?”

“Connie. She’s not like the other girls.” Jenny smirked, feeling rather smug that her suspicions about the two of them had been correct. Steven wasn’t very good at keeping things from people and he certainly hadn’t been as cautious about sneaking around as he had hoped he had been. 

“Well, no.” 

“How long?” Sour Cream was interested to know about Steven’s relationship. It wasn’t so much the fact to have been nosey, but the entire band were curious to know how long Steven had been holding onto this romance. 

It was highly unlike Steven to have even gotten past a single night with a girl, let alone for the better part of most of the tour. 

“Well, we first kissed in Birmingham. Sorry, Sour Cream. I...um...I made up the thing about sleeping birds because I didn’t want to be caught.” Steven blushed as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“Man, that blows. I’ve lost all respect for them.” Sour Cream sighed with deflation in his tone.

“Wait. You kissed in Birmingham? J-just kissed?” Jenny cocked an eyebrow, completely blown away by his words. 

“Yeah…” 

“You’ve been with her since  _ Birmingham _ ?” 

“That’s what I said.” 

“So, you didn’t just sleep with each other? You’ve established an emotional connection? An unbreakable bond based upon the structure of human intimacy and the boundless quest to discover your kindred spirit?” Buck sucked in a breath of air after he spoke. 

“I guess…” Steven rubbed the back of his neck once more. 

“Steven!” Jenny jumped forward towards him and immediately gripped onto either side of his face taking him by complete surprise. 

“ _ Yush _ -” Steven could barely speak as he looked up at Jenny who was squeezing both of his cheeks together. 

“You’re telling us that you’ve been with Connie since Birmingham?”

“ _ Yuh-huh _ .”

“And you didn’t sleep with her straight away?” Jenny was beyond elated for her friend, this was nothing like what they had witnessed with Steven before. They hadn’t even seen him quite so happy on tour before - they had been playing better than ever. 

“ _ Nuh-uh _ .” Steven shook his head as Jenny continued to squeeze his cheeks. 

“Has that even...happened before?” Sour Cream furrowed his eyebrows, wanting nothing more than the best for his friend. 

“I don’t think it has.” Buck inputted.

“Steven...Connie  _ likes _ you!” Jenny practically cheered as she came to the conclusion, releasing Steven from her grip. 

Steven scratched the side of his face as he stared up at her before looking around at both Buck and Sour Cream who were smiling at him. He had come to this conclusion a few times in his mind, but it wasn’t until he saw the faces of everyone around him that he realised quite how true it could have been. 

It was never about trying to get to him for his status. 

It was never about using him to get drugs. 

It was never about checking a box. 

It was never about sex. 

It was always about...him. 

It was at that moment that Steven knew this time truly was different. It was something that had been playing on his mind every single day on the tour. Something that as much as he wanted to keep thinking was true had never really considered to the point past somewhat of a dream. 

He wanted to love someone. He wanted to love Connie. 

Steven was afraid. 

“Yeah…” Steven allowed a small smile to creep up his face. He wanted nothing more than to have been someone who could have loved another without any repercussions. Connie wasn’t down to leaving him the morning after. Connie didn’t run away at the first instance. 

It was just an hour ago he was having the most passionate sex of his entire life. He couldn’t quite believe he would have thought anything else of Connie other than the fact she would have been more than happy to have continued to stick around with him. She liked him just as much as he liked her and that had been proven time and time again. 

“You can’t let her go, man.” Sour Cream nodded, only ever wanting Steven to have been happy. 

After everything that Steven had experienced throughout his life, he deserved love at the very least. It had been a painful couple of years on tour as all of the members of the band witnessed Steven’s intense pursuit of companionship. It would have been good for Steven to have finally found exactly what he was looking for. The band only ever wished the best for him. 

“Don’t be afraid to show your love, Steven. You’re a beautiful person on the inside and the out. I’m sure that no matter what you do, the power of love and cellular devices will keep you together beyond the tour.” Buck held onto his shirt as he spoke, becoming a little over-dramatic as he spoke.

“Wow Buck, thanks.” Steven smiled over at Buck, feeling a little more confident in the way in which he was to have shown his love to Connie. He couldn’t quite imagine what life would have been like once they had gone back to their everyday lives. This tour had been quite the experience. 

He was still against the idea of telling Connie that he loved her. He had told women that in the past after only knowing them for...fifteen minutes. It was a passionate word that sometimes he couldn’t have helped but say whilst halfway through a sexual act. He had learnt over time that the ‘l’ word was very much forbidden when it came to sleeping with someone he had met at one of his shows. Women certainly didn’t fall to his feet over that one. 

Steven didn’t want to say the word. A deep fear that things would have turned out the same if he were to have mentioned it to Connie. He wanted things to work out and the last thing he wanted was to scare her away. 

“Look, Steven - we sort of figured something was going on, but we wanted you to tell us in your own time. It kind of seems like you two are getting on well with one another and we didn’t want to ruin that. We didn’t want you to have been afraid to tell us. We want what’s best for you and as long as you’re happy we’re happy with whatever you choose.” Jenny placed her hand on Steven’s shoulder. After spending years with him, she had certainly adopted the older sister role. Steven appreciated Jenny’s words beyond belief. Why was he ever worried about what the band thought?

“We just didn’t want you to get hurt. We know now this isn’t a situation like Port-” Sour Cream shrugged, his words immediately being cut off. 

“No!” Buck snapped. 

“We want you to be happy and y’know what? We’ve never seen you happier than we have on this tour. This tour is kickass!” Jenny chuckled, nudging Steven in the shoulder slightly. 

“I think Max and Connie helped with that one.” Buck grinned, more than happy to have adopted the two college students into their lineup. The tour certainly wouldn’t have been as fun without them. 

The band had warmed up to Max incredibly quickly and they had spent copious amounts of time with her. It seemed as if although Connie had attempted to hang out with the band, she had found herself pretty caught up with Steven. The band had noticed her disconnect, a little bit worried it had something to do with the unintentional peer pressure they had put on her when they had first met. They had felt pretty awful about the whole thing. 

Although, according to Max that certainly wasn’t the case. Max had always been convinced it was down to the fact Connie was infatuated with the boy so much that every waking second that wasn’t spent with her was spent with Steven. Connie didn’t seem to have time for anyone else - in the nicest way possible. 

“I am happy.” Steven confirmed. Sure, there had been moments throughout the tour where he had felt somewhat down about his situation, but for the most part, it had been one of the best tours he had ever experienced. 

Everything from how he performed on stage to being content with Connie. He had never been on a tour where he had only been...with one woman. Although the experience was completely different from what he had been through in the past, he wanted nothing more than to continue with the way that he felt. 

Even the days in which he had been in his worst places throughout the tour, Connie had always been there to cheer him up and make his day infinitely better. She understood him better than anyone. He felt comfortable with her. 

The band made sure to smile widely at him, not a single one of them was unhappy to have heard Steven’s conclusion. They truly did just want him to be happy with whatever he chose in his life. If that meant being with Connie, then they would have welcomed the change. It was going to be good for him. 

When Steven finally came out of the hotel room he checked his phone and noticed that Connie had sent him a text message.

‘We thought we had better head off to Indianapolis. I’ll see you there? Max said the band would be chill with it. I hope you’re okay. X’

Steven smiled at the text, evening taking note of the kiss at the end of the message that she had previously not been sending to him unless he sent one to her. It seemed as if it was a way to match his pattern of speech through text, except now it was more about truly meaning the kiss. 

The band piled into the van to head over to the next state for the show in the evening. Jenny had forced Steven to sit in the back of the van, refusing to go anywhere near where he had spent the morning having sex. Buck subtly wound down the window. 

Max and Connie made their way across the states as per usual. Everything was starting to wind down now that they only had a couple of days left of the tour. Max had decided that rather than listen to music they put on a funny podcast for the duration of the trip. Connie had gotten used to listening and they both enjoyed the humour. 

There was one thing that kept bugging Connie in the back of her mind and as much as she wanted to speak to her best friend about the matter, she didn’t want to continue to burden her with her newfound love life. Although, Max would have been grateful to hear the gossip. 

Connie couldn’t stop thinking about everything that had happened between them on tour, from the subtle flirtation to having sex. There was nothing weird or strange about having sex with him the third time. In fact, it had been incredibly pleasurable and an unmatched physical experience. 

They had gotten so caught up in one another that even just the thought of having sex with him again felt normal. It didn’t quite have the same dirty feeling to it that it once held with such weight. Connie wanted to be with him, both emotionally and physically. 

It was hard for Connie to have even pictured them inside of a relationship, but couldn’t quite think of a life outside of the tour without him. She had mentioned him coming to see her when she was in college and the thought lived rent-free within her mind. She wanted that. She wanted to see him once all of it was over. 

Connie had pushed the mentality out of her mind that had come with sleeping with someone that was inside of a band. There had been several points within the tour that she had thought about the fact that he was famous - meeting the one and only Sadie Miller certainly cemented that. He truly was a star in his own right. 

She had worried about it at first. Was she just a phase? Another girl that he had fucked on tour for the sake of it? Another tally to add to the chart? She knew that he had slept with people in the past, but she didn’t quite know how many people were truly involved. A part of her was a little worried to know. 

When Connie wasn’t driving she was in a text conversation with Steven, checking in to make sure that he hadn’t been completely told off by the band for his behaviour. Connie was pretty embarrassed by the whole thing, but Steven was good in reassuring her that the band were okay with them...together. Steven was okay with the band knowing what they had been doing together. 

It meant that for the last couple of days of the tour they may not have had to hide their attraction to one another as much as they had been. It was an interesting concept that both of them were willing to try. 

What would that have felt like?

To have been...okay with being together?

To have been open about it? 

It would have been strange. 

The first time they had been allowed to show any kind of love for one another out in the open where everyone could have seen them was the night after the show that they had played. 

Naturally, Steven had sat beside Connie on the beaten-up couch as everyone else sat around them. Halfway through their conversations with the band and the gushing regarding the show that they had played, Steven rested his hand on his knee with an open palm. He was inviting Connie to hold his hand - in front of everyone. 

Connie didn’t quite catch onto the suggestion at first, shyly glancing back and forth between the middle of the room and then back to his open palm. It was only when Steven gently nudged her with his shoulder that she had caught onto the hint. 

Not a single person in the room gave a strange look or commented as Connie threaded her fingers between his with ease. 

They both tried to hide their smiles, followed by a slight blush. 

Nobody said a thing. 

It felt...nice. 


	18. Columbus, OH

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The band spend one of the hottest days on tour by a lake, sipping beers and blasting pop songs through a speaker. 
> 
> Connie finds a new way to help save planet earth!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How much editing do I do?
> 
> Very little.

"I'm glad that today is the hottest day of the tour. This is going to be so cool!" Max squealed excitedly as they all walked along the path shaded by plenty of trees. It wouldn't have been very long until they reached the lake they had been told about. 

"Hottest day? Don't you remember practically frying in Texas? I'd never seen the van's AC work so hard!" Jenny sighed, wiping her brow just at the thought of their time in the huge state. It certainly hadn't been a fun experience cooped up in the van with everyone for days. 

"This is a good kind of warm." Buck commented, he had already reduced himself to nothing more than shorts, a tank top and flip flops. It was going to have been a good day. 

The band greatly appreciated having Max with them, one of the many reasons being her ability to have thought of fun activities for them all to have done together. Except for the quilt museum - they still weren't too impressed with that suggestion. 

This time, Max had suggested that the band go swimming. It was a little bit different from what they were used to, but it was something that they hadn't done yet. Max had seen far too many coming of age teen movies and needed that satisfaction of jumping off a dangerous cliff into a lake. It was something that she was yet to do with her life but was planning on doing it in Ohio. 

Steven and Connie had spent the day being a lot more open about their newfound relationship. Of course, things were still awkward around the band, but it was nice to know that they didn't have to hide anything anymore if they didn't want to. 

Steven had taken that and ran. Meaning that every opportunity he got he was holding onto her hand and occasionally pecking her with kisses. He didn't want to have been one of those people who showed a ton of affection, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted Connie to know how much he cared about her. How much he wanted her in his life. 

Their relationship was so much more than sex and the amount they had built up around it had been beautiful. They wanted nothing more than to have spent time with one another. They wanted more first dates. 

" _ Lake Sprinkle Sprankle _ !" Max threw her hands in the air as they reached the edge of the forest and revealed the lake in front of them. Max's reference to a  _ Delta Sleep _ song had been wasted on Connie, but everyone else seemed to have picked up on it. They appreciated the alternative humour. 

The lake was huge and glistened under the sun. Connie was a little bit nervous about swimming in front of everyone. She had mostly been nervous about having to wear a bikini that she had only just purchased on the way there. She hadn't quite expected to have gone swimming on an emo tour. 

Connie didn't have much body confidence, but a part of her was excited for Steven to have seen her in the new outfit. When she had opted for the bikini opposed to the swimsuit she had Steven's comments about her body in the back of her mind. He had found her sexy and beautiful - it didn't matter what she was wearing. It was Connie's compromise for Max trying to get her to buy lingerie. 

"Are you much of a swimmer?" Steven questioned as he leant closer to Connie. 

"I can swim, I just don't do it much." It was fun when she didn't feel so self-conscious about her body. Something that had prevented her from going swimming over the past couple of years. 

Steven had seen her naked - several times. If she was wearing a bikini that would have been far more appropriate and yet she couldn't help but feel nervous about it. He had seen more of her than anyone else had. It shouldn't have mattered. 

It would have been fun for the crew to have spent their day at the lake. Not only was it incredibly warm, but they only had two more shows to play before the end of the tour. Things were starting to come to a close and they were all pretty sad about it - especially Steven. 

It usually got to this point on the tour where Steven started to miss his bed in his beaten-up apartment just outside of Nashville. It wasn't very often he wanted to go home, but there was a feeling deep within himself that would have preferred to have been lying on his bed staring at the broken ceiling fan whilst spinning his favourite records. Tour didn't come with the same home comforts that he could have liked. 

However, this time, Steven would have wanted to have been on tour forever. It wasn't so much about playing the music, it was more or less about getting to spend time with some of his closest friends and Connie. He mostly had Connie on his mind when he thought about the idea of having to go home. 

Would this all stop as soon as the tour was over? She had given him a sprinkle of hope when speaking to one another previously - but plans could change. People could become busy. They could easily drift apart. 

Steven didn't want any of that. No matter what he wanted to make sure that things were as they should be. Exactly how they were on tour. He had never met anyone like Connie and losing that would have been the greatest loss that had occurred to him in a long time. Steven didn't quite think he would have been able to handle much more abandonment. 

Connie wouldn't have done that to him. 

He knew that. At least, he thought he did. It was what he wanted to hear. 

Sour Cream placed a small speaker on the grass by the side of the lake and began to blast beats through it. Connie was surprised to hear that what came out of the speaker wasn't emo in the slightest, but more everyday pop hits with a little bit of pep. It was interesting to hear how different the band's taste of music could be in comparison to what they played. Either way, Connie loved hearing whatever it was they wanted to play through their speakers. 

They had set up what looked to be a nice little picnic for them all. From a cool box full of beer to every variety of chip you could purchase from a gas station. Connie knew the band mostly lived on Sour Patch Kids, pizza and weed, but she would have hoped they'd have brought something in addition to that for their penultimate day together as a unit. 

As soon as they had gotten to the side of the lake everyone had stripped down to their swimwear, or at least what they would have potentially considered swimwear. Everyone apart from Connie who sat by the speaker with her legs tucked up to her chest, watching as everyone else prepared themselves to go swimming.

Connie couldn’t seem to help herself but to stare at Steven in his red swimming trunks. She had seen his chest a couple of times now, but his bulky yet somewhat muscular build was always nice to look at. He was an unconventional kind of handsome and was a treat for the eyes. Connie was incredibly attracted to him and it was hard to deny it. 

"Not coming in, ConCon?" Max cocked an eyebrow down at Connie, not quite intending for the rest of the band to turn around and be a part of the conversation too. 

"Nah, you guys have fun. Someone has to play the role of the lifeguard." Connie chuckled nervously. 

"Lifeguards can go swimming too!" Max insisted, wanting nothing more than for her best friend to join them on what was looking to have been their last day all together. 

"Usually only when someone is drowning..." Buck gave everyone an uneasy look as he adjusted his sunglasses. 

"Oh. I mean…" Connie's eyebrows dipped at his comment, feeling a little unnerved by Buck's comment. 

"It's cool, we can tell you what the water's like." Steven shrugged with a smile. He was torn between going swimming with everyone and sitting beside Connie the whole afternoon. He could do both, well, he was at least going to try to convince her to go in. 

"I bet it's cold." Jenny groaned, happy with the idea of going swimming but very unhappy about getting wet. 

"I hope there aren't any leeches." Sour Cream scratched the back of his neck at the thought. 

"I doubt there are any leeches." Max laughed nervously, suddenly a little bit worried in case Sour Cream's words brought on a wave of leeches that consumed them all. 

"I mean, there are probably leeches in there somewhere." Buck shrugged. 

"Hm, yeah." 

"Why is everyone talking about leeches and not jumping in the lake?" Steven groaned as he exchanged glances between them all, a little confused with their behaviour. He couldn't help but question all of them based on the weird thoughts they seemed to have day in and day out. This was what he had to put up with in the van. 

"Okay. Cool. Connie, you've got to be the judge of this." Max pointed down to Connie with a grin. 

"What? Of the leeches?" Connie looked up with an expression full of confusion. 

"What? No! No leeches!" 

"Okay, what is it then?" 

"Alright, everyone hold fire. I need silence in the room." Max held out both of her arms and took a deep breath, everyone in the band looking rather intrigued as to what she was doing. 

"We're outside." Jenny sighed. 

"Shut up and get ready!" 

"Uhhhh." Sour Cream was more than ready to question what was happening. He did have more questions on the leeches though. 

Max took a deep breath in and looked around before bending her knees and shouting. 

"The last one into the lake listens to Nickelback unironically!" Max shouted before immediately sprinting to the edge of the lake. Everyone stared at one another at the sound of her words, realising the game they had all been opted into without a chance for denial. 

Connie laughed as she watched everyone run at full speed towards the lake, Max being the first person to dive off the edge. Each of them followed, splashing into the water one after the other. Max was the first one to reach the surface, raising her hand in the air and squealing happily. Everyone else found themselves above the water laughing at the jump they had just completed. 

Jenny was right about it being cold, although it was cooling in the heat and none of them cared about the sudden change of temperature so much that they insisted on getting out. They were somewhat comfortable. 

“Hey Connie - are you sure you don’t want to come in? The water’s great!” Max splashed on the surface.

“No leeches!” Sour Cream laughed as Buck splashed a large amount of water over towards the rest of the band. 

Connie stood up and walked over to the edge of the lake, smiling at them all below her. She thought back to her first encounter with the band and how they had been so pushy when it came to wanting her to smoke the weed. It turned out they weren’t quite always like that, in fact, the reason they had been that way was because they had always been so used to their banter between one another. It was different with new people and Connie had slowly come to terms with it. She understood how they acted around one another. 

They weren’t trying to convince her because they wanted her to feel peer pressure - they wanted her to have a good time. They wanted her to have been a part of their group. A part of the band. 

They had all spent a few weeks with one another and they had all gotten close...some more than others. It was interesting to have spent so long with each of them. Connie had truly gained a new set of friends and she couldn’t have been happier. She had never had a friendship group before. 

It felt nice to be a part of something. 

She looked down at each of them smiling back at her. She had no reason to be shy around any of them. From Max, all the way to Steven - none of them had ever judged her harshly. It felt nice to be...herself. 

Steven smiled at her the hardest, his internal voice screaming about how much he wanted her to join them in the water. A small cheer inside of himself that was rooting for her to take the dive. He nodded up at her, a subtle telepathic ‘you’ve got this’. 

Connie took a deep breath and stood back away from them all, quickly trying to get both her shirt and shorts off as quickly as she could so they didn’t spend too long watching her undressing. She kicked her shoes to the side and decided whether or not she wanted to jump with her glasses. If she broke them she wouldn’t have been quite sure what to do, but if she didn’t wear them she wouldn’t have been able to see. She mentally voted to keep them on. 

Steven didn’t quite get to see her outfit as she leapt off the side of the lake and into the water. Everyone covered their eyes and laughed as she splashed water in all directions, everyone letting out a little cheer as she came up to the surface and brushed her hair back with a smile before suddenly realising that she couldn’t see. She couldn’t see!

“My glass-” Before Connie could mentally punch herself for being an idiot by keeping them on she noticed a blur in front of her face. 

“It’s okay! I’ve got it.” The blur in front of her slowly turned into Steven as he gently placed the glasses over her eyes with a smile. Connie looked back at him with a smirk before wiping the lenses with her wet hands.

“Thanks.” Connie chuckled, the intimacy of him putting on her glasses taking her memory immediately back to L.A. It had felt so strange to allow him to have done that to her, considering for him to have taken her glasses off felt like such an invasion of privacy. 

Steven didn’t quite feel so embarrassed about being around Connie when it came to the band watching their small flirtatious acts. It felt nice to know that the weight of the worry had been lifted away from them. Steven was more than happy to have shown how much he liked her in front of them - perhaps a way to prove that this time was different from all the rest? 

The anxiety had somewhat subsided within him. It wasn’t like it used to be and Steven had decided against ever wanting to be that person again. Connie had allowed him to see a different perspective. 

Connie still felt a little bit nervous around the band and Max. Although they knew about their small fling together, it wasn’t as if she wanted to parade it around everywhere. Connie was a pretty private person and it would have felt strange to her to have told everyone in the vicinity about her relationship with the frontman. 

It wasn’t long before everyone was swimming, chatting and splashing one another aggressively whilst in the water. Steven and Connie made a particular effort to splash the water just about everywhere, including both of them ganging up on Max to soak her hair further. Max wasn’t happy with the amount her hair was getting wet but certainly didn’t mind joining in on the fun. 

“Do you guys go swimming in lakes often?” Connie questioned as she floated in the water beside Steven. They had practically been next to one another the entire time. Connie was already memorised by the hilarity in the flatness that came with Steven’s hair once it was wet. He certainly didn’t look happy about it. 

“We’ve been a couple of times before, mostly in different states.” Steven admitted as he made his move to swim a tiny bit closer to Connie. “None of them with pretty girls though.” 

Connie chuckled at his small comment he had made on the off-chance that she potentially didn’t hear it. She heard it and he knew that she heard it. He swam a lot closer towards her than perhaps a friend would and looked at her in the hopes he would have gotten what he wanted if he had asked nicely. 

He didn’t have to ask nicely, Connie was already more than happy to allow him to place his hands on her back underneath the water. Steven was a little upset that he didn’t get to see her in the bikini much before she had jumped into the water - he bet she looked gorgeous. 

“Do you want to get any closer?” Connie sarcastically snorted with a smile, Steven taking her words as a question. 

“Yeah.” Steven smirked before pulling her closer towards him. They were practically chest to chest as they stared at one another for a moment. Only yesterday they had been cuddling up in the van. Having sex in the van. Steven was still feeding off the drug of the moment. 

Connie placed her hands on his chest, both wet and warm from the lake and the heat that surrounded them. She noticed that his neck and collarbones still had faint marks where she had planted passionate kisses once before. It had taken a long time for them to disappear, although Steven seemed to wear them with pride. 

Connie glanced over towards the band and Max who all seemed to have been distracted by one another. She looked back up at Steven and smiled sweetly, it wouldn’t have been so bad to have kissed in the water. They could get close without the band overlooking their choices and that felt good to know. It was certainly a huge anxious weight that had been lifted. 

Steven smirked before attempting to make his move, tilting his head as he went in for a kiss. Connie was somewhat surprised that his kiss wasn’t just a peck and immediately shut her eyes as he led one of his usual passionate kisses. Connie clenched her hands against his chest as she felt his hands sit comfortably in the middle of her back.

Connie truly could have kissed him all day, thoughts suddenly running through her mind about how little time they had left together. It wasn’t fair. Connie was ready to have gone on tour again and again if it meant that she would have the same experience as she had done the past couple of weeks. It was well worth pouring her savings into and was certainly a lot more fun than she believed backpacking ever would have been. 

“Oh my  _ god _ ! Get a room!” Max cupped her hands over her mouth as she shouted towards Steven and Connie. 

Surprisingly, neither Connie nor Steven released their grasp of each other’s lips, continuing their pursuit of the kiss as if nothing else mattered. In fact, Steven even got a little more aggressive with his kiss in protest. He was going to show how much he liked this girl in front of everyone, he wanted to show off how madly infatuated he was with Connie. How madly infatuated she was with him back was an even bigger thing to have been happy about. 

Connie removed her hand from Steven’s chest and slowly stuck her middle finger up towards wherever she had heard Max’s voice. Everyone in the band chuckled as Max pouted at the response, trying her hardest not to laugh at Connie’s rude response. 

“To be fair, rooms can be pretty expensive.” Buck shrugged as he spoke quietly, defending the newfound couple’s presence. 

“Well, maybe they could find somewhere...y’know...private.” Jenny gritted her teeth together, not quite able to remove her eyes from the couple who were saving no room for their imagination as they kissed.

“I haven’t even eaten yet and I can already feel it exiting my body.” Sour Cream groaned. 

“They’re cute! Do you not think this is cute?” Max questioned the band as they all continued to watch them kiss in horror. “Oh, well, except for Connie being rude. Sticking her finger up at me. Who does she think she is? That’s  _ my _ thing.” Max huffed as she continued. 

“They’d probably be cuter if I didn’t have to see them shoving their tongues in each other’s mouths. I wish I only knew about them holding hands - then it would have been cute.” Jenny sighed.

“Oh, they’ve done  _ way more _ than hold hands.” Max snorted.

“That’s the  _ problem _ . Damn girl, now it’s in my head. Why’d you have to say that?” Jenny tutted, feeling betrayed by her new best bud, Max. She didn’t want the image of what they could have possibly done with one another in the back of the van and wherever else they had slept together. Probably multiple places knowing Steven. 

He wasn’t exactly the kind of guy who could  _ wait  _ for a...bed. 

Steven and Connie didn’t quite care what anyone thought of them at that moment, so caught up in the kiss that there wasn’t much else that they could have focused on other than each other. Steven slowly pulled away with a wide smile, wanting nothing more than to press back up against her lips. He had far too many new emotions when it came to Connie. 

“I... _ really _ like kissing you.” Steven chuckled sweetly as they continued to press against one another. 

“I like kissing you too.” Connie blushed as she adjusted her glasses after having them pushed slightly askew from Steven’s kisses. Connie liked being with him and it had even felt good to have kissed in front of everyone. It didn’t feel like a poorly hidden secret anymore. It just...was. 

There was so much that both of them could have exchanged when it came to adorable words to say about one another. A back and forth that went over each loving aspect that they had gained in their relationship. There was such a need for them to have been closer that they would have done anything to have achieved the goal. 

The band were on a tight schedule and going swimming perhaps wouldn’t have been the most sensible way to have spent their early afternoon and a little bit beyond. They wanted nothing more than to have sat around the lake drinking cheap beers all afternoon as it bled into the evening. The issue was that they had a job to do and a show to play. 

They all clambered out of the water to get themselves dry and somewhat clothed for the journey back to the motel. It didn’t quite matter if they didn’t do a perfect job of it all knowing that they would have been getting ready again almost immediately. Steven didn’t see Connie in the bikini for very long, but he attempted to divert his eyes frequently so as not to have been considered rude. He was attracted to Connie in more ways than one.

There wasn’t much time before they had to head over to the venue and begin their soundcheck. They hadn’t even been to the venue yet to begin to set up and it was already pretty late in the day, it was likely that the venue was going to have been pissed with their behaviour. It didn’t quite matter though, they had been having too much fun together at the lake. 

They all made their way back into the van and headed back to the motel that they were staying in not too far away from the venue. They needed to make sure that they were ready for the show as they currently were sweaty messes that had drenched themselves in somewhat smelly lake water. It didn’t quite feel as clean as it once was. They would have each done anything to get to shower. 

“So, we have two showers. One in our room and one in Max and Connie’s. What’s going to be the fastest way for this to happen?” Jenny cocked an eyebrow in the rearview mirror at everyone as they drove back to the motel. 

“Someone can shower in our room.” Max shrugged, knowing that it was the only fair way that they could have each taken a shower in the limited space of time that they had. 

“I don’t mind.” Steven sat in the back and shrugged. Connie was sitting incredibly close to him, still wrapped in a towel and half-dressed. Everyone turned and gave Steven somewhat of an uneasy look, he certainly wasn’t being subtle about being with Connie anymore. 

“Well if that’s the case, can I have a shower before you guys? I don’t want my shower to be  _ steamier _ than usual.” Max groaned as she slid down in her seat and pouted, still upset that her hair had gotten wet and had resulted in a puffier mess than usual. Putting her beanie back on her head would have only made things worse. 

“It’s not- I’m only trying to help!” Steven defended, his actions being a little more suggestive than they were innocent. 

“Fine. It makes sense.” Max sighed heavily, as much as she wasn’t bothered by Connie’s fling, she certainly wasn’t prepared for her to have taken Steven just about everywhere. Gooey relationships were still somewhat foreign to Max. 

Connie looked over at Steven and smiled. She suddenly thought that perhaps his suggestion she denied in L.A. wasn’t a bad one after all. Maybe it was something she could have taken up now that they were both together again. 

Once they had all gotten back to the rooms, Max was the first one to hop into the shower as Steven and Connie sat on the edge of the bed speaking to one another about just about anything they could think about. Steven’s mind was still racing when it came to the tour nearly ending. Columbus was their penultimate show and he wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it. 

It wasn’t so much the music that was painful to think about, but it was the fact that he could have possibly been leaving Connie forever. She wouldn’t have done that to him, right? She would have wanted to have seen him after the tour? She had already expressed that was something she wanted to happen, but plenty of people had lied to him in the past. Why not someone else? 

This was different. As much as Steven’s mind told him otherwise things with Connie were strange and new. Connie would never have committed to something if she wasn’t going to have pulled through. When she spoke to Steven about seeing him again once the tour was over she certainly meant it. She didn’t want their fondness to end after the tour. As much as she couldn’t quite visualise anything past the tour at that very moment, it was certainly something that she thought they would both welcome with open arms. 

“Feels weird being...y’know…” Steven sat at the end of the bed beside Connie, both of them feeling a little disgusting. They were both in desperate need of a shower, all they had to do was wait for Max to have finished. 

“Open about it?” Connie half smiled as Steven took her hand and held it tightly. 

“Yeah...it’s...nice.” 

“It is pretty nice.” Connie chuckled, seeing the nerves spread throughout his face. His hair had mostly matted to the top of his head, the lake water not doing him any favours. Connie didn’t mind - it was cute.

Steven gently rubbed his thumb against the top of her hand as he smiled. He loved being close to her after everything they had experienced together. His heart ached at the idea of it being the penultimate day of them potentially never seeing each other again. 

This was different. It wasn’t going to have been like that. He had to remember what she had said to him. How could he have forgotten the words? 

She wanted him to go and visit her whilst she was in college. It would have been silly to have thought she wanted otherwise considering it was something that had come from her mouth. This wasn’t something that Steven had made up in his head to make himself feel better about the situation. Connie had invited him. 

Connie wanted to be with him. 

“I really like hanging with the band, but I love hanging out with you too. It’s so...different.” Steven was unable to stop himself from smiling, just thinking about it gave him chills. He wanted to be there for her no matter what. 

“I’ve never met anyone in a band before.” Connie snorted, once again feeling flushed at how famous Steven Universe truly was. 

“Well, now you’ve met lots of us.” 

“I’ve only held hands with Steven Universe from Star Destroyers though.” Connie laughed as she looked down at their hands with a smile. 

"Yeah, it's a pretty big thing to hold hands with a lead singer of a band, y'know?" 

"Really?"

"Hmm, yeah." Steven smirked, also wanting to input that it was a pretty big thing to have slept with a lead singer of a band too. Although it probably could have been considered a big thing, he certainly didn't want to put Connie in the same category as the people who only spent time with him to tick a box. 

Max eventually came out of the shower, noticing the two of them sat on the end of the bed. She was incredibly grateful that she hadn't walked in on anything. That would have been one of her new worst nightmares and words would certainly have been had with Connie. 

Max went to go and dry her hair, noticing that both Steven and Connie stood up in unison and walked over to the bathroom door. 

“Ugh, please don’t tell me you’re going in together.” Max groaned as she threw the towel over her head, watching both Steven and Connie hold hands by the bathroom door. Connie flushed red, staring off to the side before taking a deep breath. 

"I don't think-" Steven began, a little unsure as to why they were holding hands on their way into the bathroom. They hadn't suggested anything that would have indicated they were showing together. 

“Y’know Max, we should really strive to waste as little water as possible. Working out the water efficiency of this situation means that if Steven and I were to shower together we would ultimately be reducing our environmental impact. The average shower uses around two point five gallons of water per minute, that’s about twenty-five gallons of water for a ten-minute shower. If Steven and I both had separate ten-minute showers that’s nearly fifty gallons of water! If we’re putting it in millennial terms, that’s nearly _three hundred_ _big coffees_! It’s important we-” Connie began to justify herself with a rant, Steven staring at her in wonderment. Was she asking him to take a shower with her?

“Connie! Oh my god,  _ shut up _ ! Just go and fuck already! I’m going to the other room so I don’t have to hear any of...this.” Max gave them both an uneasy look before laughing slightly, unable to hold the seriousness in her expression. She would have dried her hair in the other room, she didn't have time for the lovey-dovey bullshit.

“We’re not-”

“Oh, it also saves time.” Steven added to the rant as he lifted his finger in the air to confirm. Max has pretty much already left by the time that he spoke. 

Connie bit her lip as Max shut the door behind her, leaving just her and Steven in the doorway of the bathroom. Were they going to have showered together? Thye hadn't spoken about it. Neither of them had asked. It was something that back in L.A. Connie had rejected. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to - but admittedly, she was pretty terrified. She didn’t think that she knew him quite as well as she did now. 

Things were different now. 

“I like it when you talk about issues I don’t understand.” Steven smiled at Connie as they continued to hold hands, attempting to ignore the idea of wanting to shower together. Connie had pretty much confirmed it in scientific terms - right?

“I mean, it  _ is  _ an incredibly important issue that we need to speak about.” Connie scoffed as she led them into the bathroom and closed the door behind her. Was it happening? 

"Wait. Are we-" 

"Do you want to?" Connie held her hands together awkwardly. How was she supposed to ask someone something so intimate? 

"Shower together?" Steven was practically blushing at the suggestion, he didn't quite expect her to ever go back on his offer and yet there he was locked inside of the bathroom with her. She already knew what his answer would have been.

"Uh...yes?"

"Only if you want to." Steven shrugged, internally screaming about how excited he was to have done something so loving and close with the girl he liked. Sex was intimate - but nothing matched to what he imagined a shower together would have been like. 

"I've never showered with anyone before." Connie laughed. 

"Me neither." Steven shrugged once more, giving Connie some kind of confidence about the situation. It was nice to know it was something that they were both new to. He had boldly suggested it back in L.A., despite not quite having any idea of what he was doing. He was so caught up in the moment of intimacy that he would have done anything to have gotten closer. 

"Okay..." 

Connie watched as he stepped over to the shower and turned it on, the water propelling out of the head. She kept her eyes on him the whole time as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and kicked off the flip flops he was wearing. This was happening. 

“D-do I have to keep my pants on?” Steven cocked an eyebrow as he noticed Connie hadn’t quite moved since they had stepped into the room. 

“...No...” Connie didn’t want to let Steven know quite how nervous she was. It wasn’t as if they hadn’t done things a lot more intimate. However, it seemed as if the shower had always been such a private place for her. It was bizarre to have shared it with someone else. It didn’t quite feel right. 

She certainly wouldn't have forced him to keep his pants on - or any article of clothing for that matter. They were taking a shower, it would have been stupid to have kept any of the clothes from their day at the lake on. The whole point was to get rid of any of the dirt that the lake had collected. 

Steven stepped back over to Connie, noticing how nervous she looked in the situation. The last thing he had wanted to do was to make her uncomfortable. Steven had never showered with anyone before either, but he couldn’t have helped but think about how much of an enjoyable experience it would have been. He wanted to be that close to Connie. 

“It’s okay. I’ll go and wait outside if you want to go first.” Steven offered. 

“N-no, I want us to go together.” Connie insisted as she felt Steven’s calloused fingers run down either side of her arms. 

“Okay. We can go together.” Steven nodded with a smile as his hands travelled to the hem of her t-shirt. She didn’t hesitate to put her arms above her head as he pulled the t-shirt over her head. 

Since she was previously wearing the wet bikini underneath she had opted to travel back to the motel without a bra. Steven hadn’t quite been aware of that until the moment he pulled the shirt over her head. He glanced down. He looked back up at her eyes. He glanced down once more. He looked up and into her eyes. She was beautiful. 

“I…” Steven was lost for words as he stepped forward to invade her personal space. She allowed him to come closer, instantly placing her fingers under the hem of either side of his shorts. She used his shorts to pull him even closer. 

Steven allowed his hands to meet the top of her high waisted shorts, refusing to disconnect his eyes from hers. He leant forward to kiss her, planting his lips softly on hers just as they had done time and time again. Connie listened contently to the ambience of the shower as the room began to heat up, her lips continuing to press against his. 

Steven kept their lips together as he undid the button of her shorts before she gently wiggled out of them, followed by her pants. Steven allowed her to return the favour, pulling his swimshorts down and allowing them to drop to his ankles. Connie took off her glasses and placed them on the side. They both stepped out of the clothes and made their way over to the shower. By this point, the shower had warmed up enough to be a comfortable temperature for them both. 

Steven stepped into the shower first, allowing their lips to detach for just a moment as he held onto her hand and pulled her into the shower. They laughed at the flow of water between them, splitting their kiss. Steven stepped under the water and allowed it to flow over his hair. He closed his eyes in the process as Connie watched with a smile before gently pushing him out of the way and allowing the water to flow over her hair.

Connie felt so much comfort as the water flowed over her body, rinsing her of the lake water that had made their skin feel somewhat rough after being in there all afternoon. 

“Shampoo?” Steven questioned as he pointed down at the bottle that Max had left in the shower for them both to use. She hadn’t quite expected them to have used it together though. 

Connie nodded as he reached down and grabbed the bottle. Connie watched as he squirted some in his hand and practically slapped it onto his head, she couldn’t help but laugh at his technique. Much to her surprise, he didn’t hand the bottle over. Instead, he put some shampoo in his hand and placed the bottle back down on the floor. 

Connie wasn’t quite sure what was happening as Steven gently placed his hands on her head and began massaging the shampoo into her hair. Steven stuck his tongue out slightly as he concentrated on being the best hairdresser he could be. He had plenty of experience washing his  _ own _ hair - how hard could it have been? 

Connie felt so loved as he stood behind her and continued to brush his fingers through her hair to make sure that he had gotten shampoo everywhere he needed to. She didn’t complain one bit as she felt his fingertips massaging her scalp. Steven allowed her to practically fall back into him as he made sure to shampoo every strand of hair. 

When she had suggested having a shower together she somewhat believed that there would have been no way they could have taken a shower without being distracted by one another. It would have been one of those times where things wouldn’t have quite worked out the way that she wanted and she would have to have another shower afterwards. However, it seemed as if they had it all figured out. They truly were showering. 

It didn’t take long for Connie to step back underneath the water, allowing the shampoo to trickle out of her hair. She turned around and immediately began working her fingers through Steven’s hair in return. Steven gave her such a loving look as she washed his hair, so glad that they were able to face one another.

Before Connie allowed Steven to step underneath the water she held some soap bubbles in her hand and wiped them down the side of his face - much to his annoyance. He didn’t mind really, it just gave him an excuse to kiss her more. 

“Hey, that’s not nice!” Steven pouted as he wiped the soap off the side of his face. 

“I guess-” Before Connie could even finish her sentence Steven had brushed the soap bubbles against her nose. Connie audibly gasped as Steven giggled. 

“Whoops.” He chuckled before slamming his lips against her once more. This time, his kiss caused her to step backwards, her back pressing against the cold shower wall. 

Their bodies were intertwined with one another as he kissed her with her back against the wall, as much as he wanted to have sex he knew that wouldn’t have quite been an option in the shower. He wouldn’t have ever risked a thing without a condom and he didn’t think that would be something Connie would have been comfortable without anyway. 

Connie shivered at the touch but quickly got over the temperature as she remembered why it was she was in that position. 

It wasn't so much the fact that they couldn't keep their hands off one another - but that certainly may have been seen as what was happening between them. Steven had fallen deep in what seemed to have been a pit of Connie. He wanted to be there, nothing in his mind pointed otherwise. Connie had never been with someone like Steven before and as much as she tried to justify herself within her mind - she had to get used to it. 

Steven wasn't exactly the kind of guy that she would have taken home to meet her parents as she had done in the past with other potential suitors. Most of which had been stuck up and arrogant graduates that wanted nothing more than a relationship as a statement rather than for love. It was all about image rather than anything else and Connie hated it.

Perhaps that was what attracted her to Steven the most? The fact he wasn't like the others. He didn't have a college education or even...well...much of an education at all. That didn't matter though. He was still smart, kind, loving, talented, charismatic, handsome and witty. She couldn't fault that no matter how much her parents may have ended up disagreeing on the subject. 

Connie swung her leg around him making sure to get a better grip. The last thing she wanted to do was to have slipped and fallen. That didn't matter, they were too caught up with one another and Steven certainly wouldn't have let her fall. 

Steven couldn't get too ahead of himself, knowing that he probably wouldn't have been able to finish the task at hand. He needed to slow down so his arousal didn't cause any awkward problems for them both. He ached and he knew she did too, but that wasn't something he was going to have given her in the shower. Especially not what could have been their last time - the van had been too perfect. 

"Don't want to get too carried away. We shouldn't take too long." Steven gave her a small kiss on the tip of her nose as he let go, wanting nothing more than to have held her up against the wall and made love to her for the third time. He was counting their first time as  _ sex _ , not lovemaking. 

Connie nodded in confirmation. As much as she wanted him to push her against the wall until they had to go to the show she knew that they were trying to keep to a strict schedule. Logistically speaking - they needed to get ready. Connie's level-headedness quickly took over. 

Steven pulled back on his pursuit of kisses, rinsing his hair underneath the showerhead and then allowing for Connie to do the same. He grabbed some shower gel and slathered it over his own body, as much as he wanted to run his hands over Connie's body he refrained. It was incredibly difficult to force himself away from the scenario when just moments ago they had their naked bodies pressed against one another. 

Eventually, they found themselves stepping out of the shower with smug grins on their faces. They had certainly enjoyed the intimate experience, they both felt clean and yet dirty in a much different way. 

Connie couldn’t help but laugh as they dried themselves off, Steven completely messing his hair up in the process. She couldn’t quite comprehend how cute he was, but she knew she couldn’t quite resist him. They kissed slowly once more as they got dressed into a fresh set of clothes to get them ready for the show. 

Steven sat on the edge of Max’s bed and watched as Connie dried her hair. He couldn’t stop thinking about how lucky he was to have been able to spend time with such a beautiful girl. From her body to her soul - everything about her was perfect. Steven had never been quite so content in his entire life. 

Everything was so simple at that moment as he leant back on the bed and smiled over at Connie who was sitting in front of the mirror brushing through her hair. He was so happy to have spent the tour with her. He had no regrets about speaking to her at the bar at the first show, he only wished he dared to have kissed her sooner. 

He had only been with her throughout the tour, but as he looked over at her as she put all her concentration into her hair he felt as if he had known her forever. Or at least, he wanted to know her for as long as time allowed. He had been persistent within his mind about making sure that the tour never ended as a way to be sure their relationship never voided. 

This wasn’t like any other time in the past. Things were different now. 

“Hey, Connie?” Steven suddenly perked up from the opposite side of the room. 

“Yeah?” Connie turned her head to make sure he knew she was listening despite still fixing her hair. 

“You’re  _ so _ beautiful.” Steven sighed out words that he had spoken several times throughout their time together.

Connie took a deep breath and smiled as she looked over at Steven who was sitting on the side of the bed with his hands behind propping him up. He had that same goofy yet adorable smile across his face as he had done time and time before, his head tilted to the side. His hair was still partially wet, but he had made a good enough attempt with the towel that he wouldn’t have to blow dry. 

“I never know what to say when you say that.” Connie chuckled.

“You don’t have to say anything - I just wanted you to know.”

Connie paused for a moment as she continued to look over at him. There was nothing that she could have even thought about saying without continuing to sound like a complete and utter dork. 

They both were. Dorks. 

“I bet you say that to all your fans.” Connie scoffed with a smirk forming at the corner of her lip. 

“You’re a fan now, huh?” 

“I mean, I  _ do _ have a hoodie.” Connie shrugged. 

“That is true.” Steven laughed, that certainly made her a fan. 

Before Connie could get back to drying her hair there was a slight click on the door, letting them both know that someone was entering the room. 

“Please don’t be fucking. Please don’t be fucking. Please don’t be fucking.” Max whispered as she slowly opened the door to the motel room, her fingers crossed and her eyes closed. It took her a moment of anticipation before she opened her eyes and looked across the room at both Steven and Connie who were sitting on different beds. “Oh, phew. I’m so glad I didn’t have to witness some Discovery Channel style humping.” 

“I-” 

“Ignore her.” Connie instructed as Steven’s jaw unhinged slightly at the comment. 

“So, are you ready for the penultimate show? Time to  _ destroy stars  _ or some shit.” Max pumped her fist in the air as she struck a menacing pose. She glanced over at Steven and pouted. “Uh, it’s cool as fuck, but I never asked - why is your band called  _ Star Destroyers _ ?” 

“Why is  _ Microwave _ called  _ Microwave _ ?” Steven squinted slightly, referring to a band that he had heard Max mention before. It was great to have shared the same music taste with someone. 

“ _ Mom Jeans. _ ” Max counted, sharing yet another strange band name. 

“ _ Dogleg _ .” Steven countered, taking part in the naming game that Max had thrown him into. 

“ _ The Front Bottoms _ .”

“ _ The World is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die. _ ”

“ _ Prince Daddy and the Hyena! _ ” 

“What the  _ hell _ are you talking about?” Connie furrowed her eyebrows as she gave them both a look of confusion. 

“Bands.” They responded in unison. 

“Okay.” 

“I’m broadening your musical horizons.” Max insisted with a thumbs up and a smile. 

“Y’know, I’ll probably never listen to these bands - right?” 

“Well, you said you wouldn’t listen to Star Destroyers and look where you ended up.” Max pushed her hand to the side of her mouth as she spoke away from Steven before rapidly pointing her finger towards him. 

Connie rolled her eyes as Steven smiled, he knew exactly what Max was referring to. Him. It was him. 

Steven knew that it was nearly time for them to all make their way over to the venue to get set up. He had enjoyed his day with Connie more than words could have expressed, however, there was one thing that continued to play on his mind. 

Tomorrow was the last day of the tour. 


	19. Sayreville, NJ

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Connie's path collided with the Midwest emo band, Star Destroyers, it wasn't quite the nerdy road trip that she was promised...
> 
> It was so much better.

“So, we started this trip super against the idea of being labelled as groupies and yet here we are. Max and her sidekick  _ Groupie Connie _ .” Max cocked an eyebrow, a small smirk creeping up her lips. Her hands were gripped tightly onto the steering wheel as she attempted to get her point across. 

“What are you talking about?” 

“You’re a groupie! A Star Destroyers groupie!” Max pointed at Connie. 

“I’m not a groupie!” Connie gritted her teeth together. 

“You slept with the lead singer of the band - I’m guessing it’s probably been multiple times now! You’re a groupie!” Max teased, getting more enjoyment out of it than she should have. 

“I’m a fan!” Connie sighed, bringing up the same phrase that Max had continued to make early on during their trip. The same phrase that even Steven had picked up on. 

“You don’t even like the music that much! How can you possibly be a fan?” Max snorted loudly. 

“I’ve grown to like it...” 

“I know what it is - you’re a  _ fan _ of Steven’s dick!” 

“Max!” Connie scowled loudly, despite it just being them inside of the car she still felt a twinge of embarrassment from the situation. 

“Okay, sorry sorry! You just make it far too easy for me.” Max chuckled, Connie was certainly an easy target when it came to hazing one another. Max just had to make sure that she was somewhat bullying Connie at all times - it was the only way. Max happily accepted retaliation. 

“Trust me, it’s not intentional.” Connie sighed. 

“So, are you keeping in contact with  _ Stevie U _ once this is all over? Or is this like...just a sex thing?” 

“It’s more than that!”

“So, you’re going to confess your love before leaving tomorrow morning?” 

“Uh...no. I told you - we’re not in love.” 

“Pfft. Reject all that Disney bullshit you want - but it’ll catch up to you one day. When it does I want to be the first person to say I told you so.” Max pointed over at Connie somewhat aggressively. 

She didn’t think that Max had been in love before, although it was never something that she had ever asked. She wasn’t even sure that Max was interested in romance, it was never something that she had ever expressed to have desired. Even her love for Jenny had come more from a place of wanting to spend time with someone new, perhaps more of a desire for a sexual relationship opposed to one of romantic stature. 

"I swear you don't even believe in love!"

"Nuh-uh, I do believe in love. What I don't believe in is the reality of myself being in a long term relationship that didn't end up with my name on a true-crime documentary on Netflix. This is why my current technique is the  _ 'fuck and flee' _ . You could do that with Steven too - if you're not into the whole romantic side of things." Max explained, giving Connie what she believed to have been pretty sound advice. 

Connie had never been in love before, it wasn’t as if she even knew what something like that would have felt like. Most of her so-called relationships were mostly built around what her parents would have liked her doing and who they would have liked her with. She had never thought about what it would have been like to...love someone. 

Love wasn’t a word that she could just hand out to anyone. It had to be someone special and most of all - she had to be sure. 

“How do you know if you’re in love? Isn’t it rather trope-y? Y’know? Love.” Connie questioned, a little bit confused on the matter. 

“Floating babies with kickass crossbows, puppies, yada yada roses? Yeah, I haven’t got a clue. Something about being warm and gooey. Man, love is weird.” Max furrowed her eyebrows as she stared out at the road ahead. She really didn’t know how to describe a feeling that she hadn’t quite experienced yet either. 

"So, nothing insightful?" 

"Hey! You can't keep getting insightful Max Kayori advice for free. Venmo me - I also accept tips." Max paused for a second, realising she should probably give her best friend some more free advice. "Look, I'm pretty sure love is that same feeling you get when you drink too much coffee. The desire, the warm feeling at the pit of your stomach, the caffeine high you get from it, followed by the eventual diarrhoea and regret..." Max sighed heavily. 

Connie was lost. Max usually had all the answers. 

“Oh...wow. You're not getting any tips for that one.” 

Connie pondered on it all for slightly longer, realising just how little she knew on the subject. Max stared ahead, thinking deeply about her next comment. 

"It's called the 'Max Tax'." Max squinted slightly as she spoke. She was a genius. A genius that thought of the best names for absolutely everything. 

"Of course it is." Connie sighed, attempting not to laugh. 

"Y'know...for my insightful advice business I'm setting up. I've come to notice that you've received far too much of my knowledge and now it's time to pay up. There's a threshold before you have to start paying and, well - you've crossed it." Max shrugged, attempting to play out the joke far longer than it needed. 

"Oh." 

"Yeah, it's pretty rough. You do get a best friend discount though." 

"Oh really? That's good!" 

"I mean, not really. It's not much, people take Max Tax pretty seriously. Someone could come in and take that nice set of fairy lights you have in your room or that secret stash of candy under your bed. Repossessions and shit." 

"Wait...you know about the candy?" Connie furrowed her eyebrows. 

"I know a lot of things you don't know I know, y'know?" 

"No." 

"Right..."

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you just talking to fill up the word count?"

"No! Me? Never!" Max chuckled nervously, wiping her brow. 

"Okay, because for a second-"

"No! Look, is that a mongoose?" Max suddenly pointed out of the window as Connie turned, not quite noticing her words. "Oh shit, you missed it. We were so close to having a companion for Stephen Space-Wolf. My one and only - my son." Connie burst out laughing at Max's comments, her friend was incredibly silly and it went without saying they always had a lot of fun together. 

She turned around slightly only to see Stephen Space-Wolf strapped into the backseat. Max hadn’t forgotten their new travel companion. She had claimed he had become the band’s mascot. 

Buck had already lifted the stuffed animal above his head striking the classic Lion King pose which had pretty much sealed the deal for them all. The stuffed wolf was the band’s mascot and there was nothing anyone could have done about it. 

It was weird knowing that Max and Connie were both travelling to their last location on the tour before heading back home. After being in New Jersey, they wouldn’t have been too far from home and Max had offered to drop Connie off in Beach City so she could spend the remainder of her summer with her parents as planned. 

Connie would have happily agreed but feared that Max would have to travel back home alone. She was torn. Max was happy to drive home on her own, she could look after herself despite Connie being unconvinced. Connie worried too much, especially when it came to Max. 

As excited as Connie was for the last show, she was also incredibly sad. Although she had been somewhat reluctant to have gone on the trip in the first place, it had certainly opened her eyes to things she had never seen or done before. Max was right about one thing - at least if she told her future kids about her adventures across the states then they wouldn’t have found her boring. Well, at least the things she could have told her future kids. 

Max had been so convincing when it came to inviting her on the trip that as reluctant as she was to have come along, she was more than happy that she did. Not only had Connie spent a lot of time with Max and her new love-interest, Steven Universe - but she had seen a lot of America that she would have otherwise skipped out on. 

She had collected enough pictures of just about every museum and historical landmark that they passed for her parents to view upon her return. They certainly would have enjoyed the ones from the quilt museum. Connie was going to have to skip those on the slideshow. Also, the ones of Max crowd surfing several nights in a row. She was going to have to sort them out on a memory stick before her parents saw any of them. 

It was practically going to have been a Powerpoint presentation. 

She was even going to add animations. Her parents would appreciate that. Her dad liked the one that spun around a couple of times before landing on the page, it had just enough build-up to add tension to each slide. 

Steven had opted to drive from Columbus to Sayreville. It was a pretty long drive to get done in a single day, but he was convinced he would have been able to have done all of it. It was a shame that the drive was so long that they didn’t have time to hang out before the show with both Max and Connie. It would have been nice to have wished them well and said goodbye. Connie had already told her parents when she was going to have been back home, so it was a little bit hard for them to have stuck around for longer than they needed to. 

Steven pondered on a lot of things as he drove across the states, listening to the rest of his band review the tour. They loved to go over the highlights of their tour on the drive to their last show and considering the cross country tour had been their biggest - there were a lot of memories for them to have looked back on. 

Most of the memories that they had involved Max and Connie. It was strange for them to have latched onto two new friends and become as close as they had gotten. They had never done that with a set of fans before and it was a new experience for them all. None of them had any regrets about it, Max and Connie were some of the nicest people that they had ever met on tour and they would have happily have invited them on the next one. 

Steven found it hard to think back to a memory where he was on the stage where he wasn’t putting all of his attention on his guitar and, well, Connie. He had spent most of his shows looking back at her or looking for her in the crowd that it had just become a natural occurrence. Even then, his memories when he wasn’t on the stage were still flooded by Connie. He simply couldn’t get her out of his head. 

“Next time, we’re saving up and getting more motels. I’m getting pretty sick of the whole floor shit.” Jenny groaned as she rested her head on the back of the seat. 

“We mostly stayed in motels in the end.” Sour Cream countered. It had been true, it seemed as if nearer the end of the tour they had spent most of their money on making sure they had somewhere to stay for the night. A lot of the time it was wherever Max and Connie ended up staying. 

“My bank account is aching.” Jenny continued to complain. Touring was expensive and didn’t quite have as much money in it as you would have first expected. Most of the money they had gotten from the venues they had burnt through already. 

“Maybe we could do more camping? That was fun.” Steven inputted, despite barely getting any sleep that one night that they did camp. 

“Is that because you spent the night with your  _ girlfriend _ ?” Jenny teased, gently prodding Steven in his stomach as he kept his eyes on the road ahead. She watched him flood a shade of red. 

“She’s not my  _ girlfriend _ and no, that’s not why. It was very pretty underneath the stars!” Steven huffed. It felt weird with Jenny referring to Connie as his girlfriend when that certainly wasn’t something that he could have imagined at that moment. Except, he could imagine it. The way she had spoken the word had only made him want that reality more. 

“I’m sure it was.” Buck continued to speak in jest as the rest of the band chuckled lightly. Steven scratched the top of his head as his cheeks remained heated. 

“It was - stars are pretty!” Steven insisted, now with his eyebrows dipped into a somewhat angry position. 

“Sure and yet here we are - destroying them stars.” Jenny snorted, bringing up a similar phrasing to how Max had spoken the previous day. They had certainly spent far too much time together. 

“Star Destroyers for the win!” Sour Cream let off a little cheer as everyone in the van smiled with contentment. 

This was where they wanted to be. Right then and there. Inside of the van that had seen much better days. There was nothing to say otherwise and to have been with their closest friends was all they ever wanted. Star Destroyers were stronger than ever and it was all thanks to the tour that had made them all. 

Surprisingly, Max and Connie didn’t manage to get to the venue as quickly as the band. They all would have liked to have spent time together before they played their last show, but it didn’t seem as if there was much time. They both knew they should have woken up slightly earlier in Columbus, but they had spent the night before getting pizza and chatting with one another until the early hours of the morning. There was no chance they would have woken up sooner. 

“One drink. It’s the last show, it’s going to be fun!” Max attempted to sway Connie’s opinion on alcohol as they stood at the back of the venue together awaiting the band. Connie had texted Steven to let them know that they were there and that she would see him at the end of the show. Steven was happy to agree, knowing that he already had a lot to do before he went up on stage for the last night of the tour. 

“You’re really trying, aren’t you?” Connie folded over her arms and chuckled, knowing just how badly Max was trying to get her to drink. 

“You drank with Steven. I felt a little hurt by that, y’know? I’ve seen you tear shit up in our dorm and yet you won’t even have a teenie tiny bit of alcohol with me here? Let us have fun before we grow up and become boring gin moms. Fucking end me if I ever have a 'it's gin o'clock' doormat. Please, my lovable best friend and roommate -  _ Ice Cream Cone _ !” Max groaned as she placed her hands over her heart and batted her eyelashes. Connie couldn’t quite resist the pouting expression that Max was pulling. She was admittedly pretty adorable when it came to her convincing pout. 

“One drink.” Connie sighed. “I mean it!”

“Okay, but I get to choose what it is.” 

“Depends on what you choose.” 

“That’s a surprise.”

“Max, I won’t drink it.” 

“Come on…”

"Hmm..."

"Please? Do you want me to get Steven to ask you instead?" Max pouted. 

"Oh, come on!" 

"I'm offering to pay for something! Isn't that so...unlike me? Take that opportunity and run!"

Connie grumbled slightly. There was nothing wrong with drinking and it certainly would have been the right occasion if she were to toast them with alcohol on their last show. It was fitting. 

“Alright, fine. Nothing too bad. Please”

“This shit is expensive. It’s not going to be  _ bad _ .” Max rolled her eyes before giving Connie a thumbs up and heading over to the bar. 

Connie stood on her own and looked around the room. Nobody looked quite as intimidating as they had done the first show that she had attended. Despite everyone standing around and laughing, they were all incredibly docile and didn’t look threatening in any sense of the word. Perhaps once the music started they would have bashed into one another as they formed a mosh pit, but that was all part of the fun. They weren’t there to harm one another. 

There was one thing that she noticed at every single show that she had been to - despite there always being different people there. If someone were to have fallen inside of the mosh pit - everyone stopped. It wasn’t a selfish act of trampling on people who had fallen, it was a communal effort to make sure that person was safe and enjoying themselves. Connie enjoyed watching from afar and considering Max had also been pushed over at one point in the pit, it was reassuring to know that the scene would have protected you as you had fun. 

It didn’t take long for Max to come back with a drink that looked to have been some kind of concoction of a sort. Connie didn’t want to question it too much as Max had the same drink. They both threw them down as if they were back in their dorm room on a Friday night celebrating the fact they had spent the whole week studying for a test that they had both aced without a hint of failure. They always needed to reward themselves and usually, it was with more studying - but that didn’t mean they couldn’t have had the occasional celebratory drink together. 

They stood at the back of the venue and waited for the lights on the stage to drop completely, signalling for Star Destroyers to have made their way onto the stage. Max let out a scream as Connie followed with one just as loud. Max had a huge smile across her face, she was so proud of Connie for the vast amount of anxiety that she had overcome during her time on the tour. 

There, upon the stage, each band member entered one by one. It was hard to see them without the lights completely on. The crowd continued to make a lot of noise as they made themselves comfortable above them. This would have been the eighteenth time that they had done this on the tour. They were used to it all by now. 

Steven closed his eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath. The air around him was somewhat stuffy with the vast amount of people that were in the room, but it was something that he had gotten used to with time. It would have only gotten worse as the show progressed. 

He was ready.

A red pair of Vans pressed gently against a pedal that had been drilled onto an old skateboard deck, an abundance of leads trailing from each colourful device - the final lead making its way up towards a red Telecaster. There was a slight monotone drone over the speakers as everyone in the room waited patiently with anticipation. 

A drum stick bounced on a cymbal, enough to make it hum with impatience. Fingers twisted the nuts of a guitar as one of the digital pedals lit up a bright green colour. A simple pluck of a bass string. The build-up to what would have been a fantastic gig. 

The stage was dim, just enough lighting to have seen the band’s silhouettes. They could see the lights pointing at the crowd. Every one of them a face that was there to see them play. Excited. Thrilled. Ready to rock. 

The frontman took a step forward, brushing his fingers through his perfectly styled dark hair. It wouldn’t have lasted long once he had sweated his way through the evening - but it was a nice start. He looked at each member of his band before looking towards the back of the venue. 

He could see her. Connie Maheswaran. The college student who had reluctantly decided to come on tour with Star Destroyers. She stood beside her best friend Max, patiently awaiting the show just as she had done night after night. It had somewhat become more about seeing him than it had been about listening to the music. Steven wanted to play. He wanted to play for her. 

He approached the microphone that he had already adjusted to match his height. As he looked back up in the crowd he noticed the girl in the back wave. He held up his hand and waved back causing the whole room to erupt into a singular inaudible scream. They may have thought he was waving to the whole crowd and perhaps he was in the way, but his smile was certainly directed to someone in particular. 

“Everyone’s here to have fun - right?” Steven spoke the question into his microphone. It was a simple question and one that elicited quite the response. 

The crowd responded with a cheer louder than the last. 

“I don’t think that was loud enough.” The second guitarist stepped up to their microphone and commented on the crowd’s performance before adjusting his sunglasses. 

“Well, I didn’t think it was too bad. Seems like Buck’s pretty hard to please though. You’re going to have to do better, so, I’ll ask again - is everyone here ready to have some fun?” 

The crowd shouted as loud as each of their lungs could scream. The sound was deafening. Max and Connie laughed as they joined in with the screaming. 

“Hey, that’s better!” The bassist laughed as she stepped up to her microphone and spoke with confidence. 

The lights on the stage sparked on, allowing everyone to see the band - no longer simply silhouettes. Steven Universe held onto the microphone and coughed into it slightly, scanning his eyes across the crowd and smirking. Sour Cream kept his sticks rapidly tapping against the snare as he awaited his cue. 

“Yeah - much better.” Steven winked before stepping back on one foot and grabbing the guitar that was attached to him by the strap. 

Sour Cream smashed every drum on his kit as each guitar began to play their part. As per usual, Steven tapped his fingers against the frets. Buck played complex chords that he couldn’t even name in a practically unknown tuning. Jenny kept them all together with a solid and catchy bassline. 

“ _ I’ve made a mistake! All my errors have come crashing down, my confidence has gone away. _ ” Steven began to shout into the microphone as everyone in the room immediately started to jump around at the start of the song. There was nothing that they could have enjoyed more than how their music made people want to dance. 

Max gripped onto Connie’s hand almost immediately. Connie glanced down at the gesture with wide eyes. 

“Come and mosh with me - please!” Max once again tried her luck as she yelled over the loud music, somewhat pulling Connie towards the crowd. 

Connie furrowed her eyebrows at Max. Max continued to try and get Connie to go inside what looked to be a dangerous collection of people all running into one another. After hearing Steven’s music night after night she was starting to realise that perhaps it did have the danceability that she hadn’t quite appreciated before. 

“ _ I’m afraid that I’m not good for you, but even if I’m not I’d fight for you! _ ”

“You won’t lose me, right?” Connie suddenly considered the option of being able to go inside of the mosh pit. She certainly didn’t want to get to a point where she lost Max within the crowd. They would have regrouped at the end of the night, but that was beside the point. If she was going into the crowd she wanted to know that she was going to have had Max in her line of sight the whole time. 

“Oh my god! No!” Max laughed as she pulled Connie a little further forward much to her hesitation. 

“Promise?” 

“I love you, man. Trust me, if this was dangerous I wouldn’t let you do it!” Max winked as she began to jump along to the music, continuing to hold onto Connie’s hand to convince her to do the same. 

Connie began to nod her head to the beat. The song sure was catchy. The same one that they had opened with for most of the tour. She recognised it. Max nodded back, encouraging her to bounce on her feet until she was laughing with Max as they both jumped up and down on the spot to the beat of the song and Steven’s manic shouting. 

“ _ I’m gonna lose to the bad guy. Put your fists up in a fight as I just sit and cry - I’m the good guy! In a fight against myself, so please just save yourself because I’m not good for you. _ ” Steven’s lyrics were hard to hear over everyone’s screams inside of the crowd, but it was interesting to listen to what he was singing about. Connie had taken note of a few of his lyrics throughout the tour, questioning what they could have meant and if they had anything to do with his past. Or perhaps they were just songs.

Max dragged Connie into the crowd, she focused all her energy onto Max to make sure that she didn’t become anxious about being stuck in the pit. After spending every single show at the back of the venue it certainly would have been a change to have spent it inside of the section of the crowd that she had been trying to avoid the most. 

The pit was already warm and jumping around with Max was a lot of fun, she bumped shoulders a few times with the people around her, but other than that everyone seemed to have been jumping around the to song somewhat sensibly. It was a lot calmer than Connie had expected after viewing it from afar. Perhaps it was the fact the song had reached a somewhat calmer bit as Steven slowed his shouting to sing. 

“ _ I can’t be alone with you. I can’t be alone with you. I can’t be alone with you. _ ” He practically whispered into the microphone. 

“Are you ready?” Max nodded towards Connie. 

“Okay!” Connie wasn’t quite sure how to respond as the beat in the song suddenly dropped. 

Steven stepped back from the microphone before shouting the next few lyrics as loudly as possibly. Sour Cream smashed the drumsticks against the drums as hard as he could as both Buck and Jenny plucked at the strings of their guitars in quick succession. 

“ _ I’m an addict for my own self-deprecation. Taking it out on you for my own validation. I cannot be alone in this room. I don’t know what I will do - to myself! _ ” Everyone in the room erupted into a sea of jumping Star Destroyers fans, screaming the lyrics as they all bumped into one another. 

Max and Connie laughed together as they got swept away in all the commotion. Connie was having the time of her life, something that she hadn’t expected to have done at one of the shows. 

Steven repeated his words, this time a lot slower as the whole crowd gently stopped jumping into one another and caught their breath. 

“ _ I’m an addict for my own self-deprecation. Taking it out on you for my own validation.”  _ Steven sang softly into the microphone as he allowed the crowd to take the second part of the verse.

_ “I cannot be alone in this room. I don’t know what I will do to myself.”  _ The crowd sang back at the band. Even Connie had picked up on the lyrics and sang them back with her finger pointed in the air, simply copying Max. 

_ “To myself... _ ” Steven repeated the last lyrics as he pushed his pick against one of the strings of the guitar to signify the end of the song. 

The crowd suddenly erupted into the overbearing sound of cheers as they listened to the band perform. Despite being the first song of the night, they were already incredibly pumped to have heard the rest of what Star Destroyers had to offer. It was off to a great start. 

Connie took a moment to regain her breath after the song had finished, realising that she had been missing out on a lot of fun by being stuck at the back of the venue. Of course, she was pretty worried that someone may have knocked her glasses off and crushed them completely, however, that was suddenly a risk that she was willing to take. She was having too much fun. 

Steven looked towards the back of the venue and couldn’t see Connie at the back anymore. He scanned the crowd and noticed Max waving her arm in the air before lifting Connie’s hand for her. Connie had gone inside of the pit. Steven chuckled to himself accompanied by a sweet smile that he gave to Connie. 

Max could see the excitement in her eyes as the show continued. Connie didn’t stop jumping around the whole time, having far too much fun in the pit. She wasn’t quite sure if it was the rather small amount of alcohol that she had consumed that was making her feel this way or perhaps it was the amount of adrenaline that ran through her. Either way, she was having fun. 

_ “So I ran out crying without ever saying a word. All your friends laughed because you couldn’t get with a girl. Regrettable decisions that make you the villain. _ ” Steven neared the end of the set with one of their last songs of the show. Max and Connie had been having the time of their life. 

“Want to go up?” Max pointed upwards as she shouted over the music. 

“What?” Connie shouted back, not bothering to stop her rampant jumping on the spot as she danced to the rhythmic tones. 

“Up! Do you want to surf?” Max explained as she pointed up once again. 

“Me?” 

“Yeah, you!” 

“Oh...I don’t-” 

“Come on, it’s super easy! Just - no kicking and no scratching! Let yourself be carried.” Max instructed before bending down slightly and interlocking her fingers together so that Connie had some way of being boosted up into the crowd. 

Connie stared down at the gesture for a moment. There were so many things in her life that she was terrified of. Crowd surfing wasn’t something that she had ever considered to have been on the list until she had seen Max doing it multiple times and even getting kicked out of the venue for doing so. 

“It’s cool - hold on.” A stranger gestured over to Max, noticing what was going on. Connie couldn’t quite deny the offer now that strangers were involved with her being lifted off the ground. 

Connie smiled down at Max as she placed her Converse on her best friends hands and stepped up as she held onto the stranger’s shoulder. Max helped boost her onto the crowd as the tall stranger allowed Connie to hold onto his shoulder. Connie practically fell on top of everyone, noticing that without hesitation the crowd was there to hold her up on her back. No matter how big or small they were - everyone made the effort to lift their hands in the air to help carry her forward. 

“ _ Sitting in the corner with you pulling me forward, it’s the party from a nightmare that’s making me awkward. _ ” Steven continued to shout as he glanced into the crowd, noticing Connie now balancing on an abundance of people. 

He couldn’t help but grin as wide as possible, realising he was about to reach the peak of the song. A guitar solo that couldn’t quite be matched. Connie had truly gone out of her comfort zone, laughing and screaming as she pointed her finger towards Steven. She was having the time of her life. 

“ _ From the wisp of your breath to the tip of your tongue. You were on my mind - but you weren’t just anyone… _ ” Steven yelled into the microphone with sweat dripping down either side of his face. He had written the song quite a long time again, but the lyrics resonated with his current situation. 

Steven made sure that his guitar lead wasn’t caught on anything as he took a running jump into the crowd. He had been in plenty of crowds before and was sure that everyone would have been able to hold him up - he closed his eyes as he jumped, hoping that he didn’t land on the venue floor on his back. 

The band stopped playing for a moment in anticipation for the guitar solo. Steven was quick to open his eyes, realising that he was being held up by an abundance of people, security holding onto the lead of the guitar that was trailing back to the stage. 

Steven glanced over at Connie who was also on top of the crowd and smiled. She smiled back at him and began to laugh, the experience was like no other. This was the moment he wanted to have been trapped in forever. 

Steven nodded towards the band as he began to shred on the guitar, continuing to tap on the frets as he had done so every single night in the past. It came so naturally to him, even when he was balancing on the crowd and allowing them to whisk him away into the unknown. They practically held him in one position as he played, teetering back and forth between a particular spot in the crowd. 

By this point, Connie had been thrown off the crowd and was now in the arms of a nice member of security. She chuckled awkwardly as he held her, before instructing her to go to the back of the venue. Connie practically sprinted back around, pushing her way through the crowd to find Max. Steven was still playing his solo as he surfed by the time she had gotten back to Max. 

“ _ Holy fucking shit! _ ” Max screamed as she threw her arms around Connie and screamed in her ear. Connie couldn’t stop laughing as she held Max back, both practically swinging one another around in the middle of the crowd. Max was so proud of her best friend. 

Steven held his head back and placed his arms either side of him as he was pushed back to the front at the end of his solo. His Telecaster balanced on his stomach as he was swept back. He was quick to hop past the security guard and struggle back up onto the stage with the guitar still hung around him, he scrambled over to the microphone as he continued the song. 

“ _ I wanna wake up, covered in makeup. I want to go home wearing your old clothes. Laying next to you just hours ago. You said I was wrong for wanting something different - but that’s not where I belong… _ ” Steven breathed the last words of his song heavily into the microphone, the crowd singing along to every word. Steven raised his hand in the air before listening to the screams of the crowd in front of him. 

He loved playing shows so much. Music was everything to him. 

He panted heavily as he turned to look at each member of his band who had done a fantastic job at keeping everything together. He couldn’t have played the tour without them. Steven couldn’t have been more grateful for them all. 

It was then he looked back in the crowd and noticed Connie stood right beside Max with a huge grin on her face. They had both been on top of the crowd together at the same time. He smiled from ear to ear down at them both - the tour wouldn’t have been the same without them. 

For him, especially Connie. 

Once the show was over Max and Connie continued to freak out with one another about how great everything had been. Connie had battled her fear of mosh pits and Max had finally been able to convince her to go all out - even to the point in which Connie had been crowd surfing. It made it infinitely better over the fact that she had been on top of the crowd at the same time as Steven. It couldn’t have been more perfect. 

Max and Connie were invited backstage on the last night of the tour, making their way to the room with a singular couch, a table and a broken chair. It wasn’t anything special and was pretty much the same as every other gross looking venue that they had played at throughout the states. 

“Home tomorrow.” Max sighed as she leant back on the couch and glanced around the room at everyone. Jenny was sitting beside her on the couch, Buck was on the broken chair, Sour Cream was sitting in the middle of the table with his legs crossed and Steven and Connie were sitting on the floor with their backs against the wall. 

“It was a great tour though.” Buck put his thumb up as he spoke. 

“It was killer, man. We really smashed it.” Sour Cream grinned as he nodded at everyone in the room.

“We were amazing. Did you guys see Connie surfing?” Steven laughed before pressing the back of his head against the wall and looking over at Connie beside him. She chuckled lightly as she felt everyone’s eyes go on her, noticing Steven’s open palm resting on the top of her thigh, offering to hold her hand. 

Connie slipped her hand in between Steven’s. This certainly wasn’t something she wanted to end when the morning came around. 

“My best friend, Connie Maheswaran is the absolute coolest crowd surfer you have ever seen!” Max practically shouted across the room as she pointed towards Connie. Connie blushed at the comment, feeling Steven’s thumb gently brush against her hand. 

“Yeah! I saw you, girl. You’re good at that! You have to come and rock out with us in the future - need to make up for all the shows you weren't moshing.” Jenny chuckled. 

“Well, it was a lot of fun.” Connie continued to blush as she tucked her hair behind her ear. 

“Can I make a toast?” Buck stood up from the broken chair, everyone in the room looking concerned as the chair creaked, a piece of plastic dropping off the back as he got up. The venue was falling apart.

“Well, I don’t see any bread.” Steven snorted. 

“Ayeeee.” Sour Cream pointed finger guns towards the frontman. Buck sighed heavily before continuing. 

“Anyway, baked goods aside - I just wanted to say thank you to our new friends that we made along the tour. Max and Connie have helped make this tour everything it needed to be. I’m incredibly grateful that you both joined us on our adventure and I hope that you can do so again in the future.” Buck nodded, his words incredibly sweet for them all to hear. 

“Aw Buck, that’s so sweet!” Connie commented, her heart full of love for the whole band. 

“Man, that’s awesome.” Max grinned, exchanging glances with Connie. She was so glad that they had gotten close to the band. 

“Thank you for, well...inviting us to join you.” Connie smiled, keeping her fingers intertwined with Steven as she looked around the room at everyone. She had learnt to love every single one of them. It was nice to have been close to a bunch of people. 

“Anytime!” Jenny grinned, wanting nothing more than to have stood up and given Connie the biggest hug. 

It was soon time for that as they eventually got kicked out of the venue and made their way back to the motel that they were spending the night in. It would have been the last time of them all staying in the same motel together. It was a momentous occasion and everyone was sad to have been leaving in the morning - especially Steven and Connie. 

As everyone got ready for bed Steven texted Connie and asked her to meet him outside by the van. Steven was a little bit nervous, knowing that it was possibly the last time that he would have been able to have seen Connie. He didn’t want that to be the case, which is why he had called her out. He wanted to...talk. 

“It looked like you enjoyed the show.” Steven smirked as he leant against the side of the van with his hands in his denim jacket. Connie came and stood beside him, folding over her arms and looking up towards the sky. 

It was a clear night. Perfect for stargazing if they so wished. 

“I did…” Connie chuckled as she shuffled closer to Steven as they leant up against the van and both looked up at the sky. 

“So, do you think you’d come to another Star Destroyers show?” Steven turned his head as he cocked an eyebrow at the question. 

Connie shrugged as she struggled to stop herself from smiling. 

“Well, yeah. You guys are really good.” 

“Thanks...” 

“The stars are really pretty tonight.” Connie sighed as she looked up once again. 

“Do you...want to sit on top of the van? We’ll get a better view.” Steven suggested, continuing to keep his hands inside his jacket. 

“Is that safe?” 

“I don’t know, but it’ll be fun!” Steven chuckled as he pulled open the side of the van and stepped inside before stepping on the seat and hoisting himself up onto the roof. It probably should have dented from the weight, but even if it did - he didn’t care. The van was already far past its expiry date. 

Steven leant over the edge and held out his hand for Connie to grab onto. Connie climbed up inside of the van before gripping onto his hand and allowing him to pull her up onto the roof. Steven shuffled to the back of the van and sat on the edge with his legs over the side, Connie followed and sat beside him. 

“You’re right about being able to see the stars better.” Connie looked up at the sky and attempted to look out for any constellations that she knew of. 

“You were right about it being dangerous.” Steven looked down at his legs hanging over the side of the van and gulped slightly. It wasn’t a huge drop, the stage he had dived off just a couple of hours ago was probably a lot taller. 

“It’s okay, silly.” Connie snorted as she held out her hand for Steven to hold, just as he had done for her previously. Steven didn’t hesitate to grip on. 

He sighed heavily as he held Connie’s hand on his lap, beginning to draw small circles on the top of the hand he was holding. She looked over to him with a small smile, taking note of how innocent his action was yet understanding his sad expression came with a much deeper meaning. 

“This is it, huh?” 

“The end of the tour?” 

“The end of  _ us _ ?” Steven looked away, surprisingly trying his hardest not to let himself cry. He hadn’t cried over anyone in a long time… 

“Oh…” Connie furrowed her eyebrows, she wasn’t quite sure what to say. It wasn’t as if they had ever put a label on the relationship that they had built up over tour. There was no need to say certain words or label themselves something that may not have stuck for long. 

Steven was so used to things ending he only wondered when his longest relationship to date would have come to a halt. It was bound to have been soon. 

“It’s just...I’ve never had  _ this _ before.” Steven chewed his bottom lip nervously, still trying to stop himself from breaking out in a flood of tears. He continued to circle the top of her hand, this time a lot softer and slower than he did when he was flirting with her.

“ _ This? _ ”

Steven lifted his head and looked up towards Connie with a look of sadness in his eyes, somewhat glistening under the streetlight as he fought back the urge to cry. His eyes watered simply at the sight of her. How could someone be so beautiful? Why would someone like Connie ever want to be with someone like him? 

“I...I’ve never liked anyone the way that I like you.” Steven sniffed with a slight smile, he had nothing to lose. If she rejected him like everyone else throughout his life when it wasn’t as if they would ever have to see one another again. 

“Me neither.” Connie smirked back at him, noticing the cracks in his voice. It was something he had spent a long time pondering on and something that he struggled to say. Something he had practised within his mind. 

“I  _ really _ like you, Connie.” Steven’s words were practically a whisper as he looked into her eyes. Connie stared back, taking in the words. Steven noticed it took her a moment to respond, his heart beating fast enough to jump out of his chest as he awaited an answer. 

“I-I really like you too, Steven.” Connie let out a small sigh of relief, something that had been hanging over her head for quite a while was finally out in the open. 

“Really?” Steven’s eyes widened, somewhat shocked by her answers. 

“Of course I do!” Connie couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction. 

“Oh...wow.” Steven looked off to the side, his mind stewing on her answer. As much as he wanted her to have said the same in return, a lifetime of rejection had taught him otherwise. He held tightly onto her hand as he used his spare hand to wipe his eyes as they began to water. 

“Are you crying?” Connie noticed almost immediately, causing her to both chuckle slightly and sniff in response. 

“N-no.” Steven laughed as he wiped his tears away from his eyes. 

“It’s okay to cry! I promise.” Connie placed her hand underneath his chin causing him to look over at her, she gently brushed her thumb underneath his eye to remove a stray tear. 

He placed his palm over her hand that was on his face, slowly bringing it down between them so they were now holding both of their hands as they sat on top of the van. They stared at one another deeply for a moment, there was so much for them to take in. The whole tour had given them a completely new experience. 

“I’m crying because I’m happy.” Steven finally responded with the same dorky smile that he had given her time and time again. 

“You’re going to come and visit, right?” Connie tilted her head to the side slightly, interested to know whether or not he was going to come and visit her in college like they had discussed previously after their night together in the van.

“Well - yeah!” Steven snorted, of course he was going to go and visit her! There was nothing to say otherwise. He wanted to visit her so badly that it hurt and she hadn’t even left yet. He just hoped that life wouldn’t have gotten in the way. 

“If I’m super busy with college, you’ll still call - right?” 

“Only if when I’m busy you call too.” 

“I will!” 

“Okay.” Steven nodded with a smile, happy to hear that they had come up with a plan together. 

Connie thought back on all the times that they had shared throughout the tour, from meeting him at the back of a venue, to skateboarding, to kissing him for the first time in Birmingham, to meeting his dad, to eating ice cream in Austin, to spending a night with him in the City of Angels, to visiting museums, to roller skating, to sleeping in the van, to being lakeside lovers, to surfing on the top of a crowd. They had an abundance of memories together, none of which could have ever been replaced. 

It went without saying that Steven had a special place in his heart for Connie. 

“Wait until Max hears that Steven Universe of Star Destroyers told me he  _ likes _ me.” Connie snorted, unable to stop teasing. 

“DeMayo.” 

“Huh?”

“Steven DeMayo. It’s my... _ real _ name. I haven’t told anyone that before.” Steven half-smiled as he looked at Connie with glistening eyes. The only people he had told were his band. He wasn’t quite sure what had compelled him to do so. He wanted permanence. He wanted Connie to be a part of his life. 

“Oh. That's...different.” Connie chuckled softly as he continued to hold onto her hands. She couldn’t help but note that Steven had the confidence to have told her something incredibly personal about himself. 

“Yeah, Universe is kind of...a placeholder. Everyone knows my family that way anyway and as much as I wanted to get away from it, I’d prefer to use my public name for everything whilst I still can.” Steven shrugged, his reasoning completely viable. It made sense to Connie, especially after seeing how the fan had reacted around him not too long ago. 

“That’s sensible.” 

“Yeah, I guess it kind of is.” Steven blushed.

They shared a moment of silence as they stared up at the sky once more, scanning across the night sky for something, anything that could have completed the time that they had. Perhaps something to have extended the tour? Anything would have been better than knowing that in the morning they would have parted ways. 

“Maybe we should start our own band?” Connie suggested with a small laugh. 

“What? Like Sadie and Shep?”

“Yeah, just like that. You can do your pretty singing and I can play the triangle.” Connie nudged Steven in the shoulder playfully. He burst out laughing at the suggestion. 

“Oh come on, you’re  _ never _ going to live that down.” 

“It was funny then and it’s still funny now.” 

“Fine. I do see myself as a comedic genius at the best of times.” Steven closed his eyes and placed his fingertips of one of his hands on his chest. 

“Oh really? If I remember rightly, I came up with half of that joke.” 

“Well, you’re always laughing at my jokes. The triangle one deserves an award though - even just for half of it.” 

“I’m always laughing because you’re a giant dork!” Connie snorted, once again pushing him in the shoulder playfully. She used the opportunity to shuffle closer to him. “I’m totally claiming the triangle joke as my own.” 

As Connie shuffled closer, Steven lifted his arm and placed it around her - holding her close. Connie could feel his hand on her waist and used her hand to pull it around her as much as she could, leaving their fingers touching one another gently.

“I’ll let you have that one.” Steven grinned as he felt her cuddle up to him as close as possible without pushing them both off the side of the van. 

Connie closed her eyes as she held onto him. The tour certainly had been a new experience in so many different ways. She was more than grateful for Max dragging her out of her comfort zone and into the pit that was touring with a band. 

Connie didn’t like being called a groupie because she most certainly wasn’t. She was someone who had slept with someone who just so happened to have been in a band. Except, she never quite saw Steven that way. She never saw him as the man on the stage with the adoring fans. Or the man who had a famous mother. Or even the man who was recognisable enough that people were willing to disrupt their time together to get to him. She always just saw Steven for Steven. 

Steven DeMayo. 

Steven turned his head and planted a small kiss on Connie’s forehead. It wasn’t suggestive - it was sweet. Soft enough to have said goodbye without the desire for more, but intimate enough to have meaning. 

“I’m going to miss you.” Steven admitted, still a little torn about not being able to see her - potentially not for a while. 

“We’ll still see each other.” 

“I know, but it’s not the same when it’s not everyday.” He sighed as he held her tighter. 

“I heard that video calls are really good for this kind of thing.” Connie inputted, attempting to think of a suggestion that would have suited the both of them. 

“Not as good as the real thing - but I’m happy to do that. As long as I still get to see you somehow.” Steven shrugged with a smile spread across his face. 

“You’ll see me. Besides, Max will drag me across the ocean to see you guys if she could.” Connie laughed, resting her head on his shoulder as she spoke. 

“I wouldn’t doubt that for a second.” 

There was a moment of silence between them.

"Connie?" Steven croaked ever so slightly as if he was struggling to speak. 

"Yeah?"

"I'm really glad I met you." 

"Me too..."

There was no telling how long they spent outside sat on the top of the van and there certainly wasn't any way of telling how long of that time they had been sat in silence. They didn't need words to show their affection to one another. 

Steven felt full within that moment. His heart no longer heavy with sadness, but a newfound feeling of bubbling happiness that he never wanted to shake. Connie made him feel so special. So loved. 

Connie hadn't quite been expecting to have spent the journey across the states becoming infatuated with the frontman of an emo band and yet there she was, cuddled up tightly beside him as they stared up at the night sky. 

Although there were so many things they could have said or done to make things different - they were content with their choices. Things would have been different after the tour, but Steven knew that it would have been a positive thing. He was excited to see where their shared affection took them in the future. 

However, on that night they only cared about one thing and that was one another. Steven had admitted his attraction to Connie verbally - something he had never done to anyone before who wasn't caught up in the moment with him. This wasn't like any other time and Steven welcomed the feeling with open arms. 

Connie smiled as she leant against his chest, cuddling up to him as both of them laid on the top of the van. They didn't want to be there all night, internally hoping that neither of them would have fallen asleep despite how much they wanted to do so. 

There were lots of things that Connie could have done throughout her summer, but choosing to go with what Max had suggested had been one of the best decisions of her life. 

Life didn't have to completely consist of stress and textbooks, there was so much outside of college that Connie was yet to experience. There was so much ahead! 

Connie Maheswaran had always been an introvert, so when her best friend, Max, suggested following a band on tour - it wasn’t something that she thought she would ever agree to. 

Except, she did and she didn't regret it for a second...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue on Monday. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading, supporting and loving Star Destroyers. <3 It's been awesome.


	20. The Encore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steven comes home from the tour with a bunch of texts.

The repetitive sound of the needle scratching through the runout groove of the vinyl record echoed through the room, gracefully accompanied by the sound of the ceiling fan spinning. Bags yet to be unpacked laid in a line from the door over to the bed in the middle of the room. 

There was a slight grumble to be heard as Steven Universe laid flat on his face in the centre of the bed, barely making it up to his pillows. He was still wearing the clothes he had been in when he was last inside of the van, driving back home after the tour. The only thing he remembered was piling into the door of the tiny studio apartment with a shedload of bags, making himself a coffee and putting on one of his favourite records to relax. 

Nearly twelve hours later the record continued to spin and the mug of cold coffee still sat inside of the coffee machine, untouched. Steven had barely made it out of his shoes before he had slept the day away. He had never quite been so exhausted from a tour before. 

It had been a crazy month and Steven had experienced a lot in that time. It was without saying that it had been the best tour of his life. A tour in which he found himself playing some of the biggest shows that he had ever played. A tour in which he had found himself hanging out with some of his favourite people in the world. A tour in which he found what some people may have described as...love. 

Steven’s eyes shot open as he rolled over, spending the next few minutes staring up at the broken ceiling fan, paralysed with thoughts of the past couple of weeks spinning through his mind. Everything from buying a girl a drink at a bar, sharing his darkest secrets and even having the most passionate and loving sex he had experienced in his entire life. 

He reached into his pocket for his phone, incredibly happy to find it was still there. He had received texts from just about everyone he knew asking if he had gotten back home safely. It didn’t help that he had been dead to the world for the better part of the past twelve hours. Texts weren’t going to be able to wake him up from his deep slumber. He had been exhausted and it was certainly a privilege to have slept in his own bed opposed to the floor or someone’s old couch - even if he hadn’t gotten to the point of being able to tuck himself in. 

Everyone had texted him. Jenny. Buck. Sour Cream. His dad. Was that...Max? Oh and then there was one text hidden at the very bottom. 

Connie. 

Steven held the phone above his head and flicked through the messages, ignoring every single one to go to the contact that he had most recently inputted into his phone. His favourite new contact. His new love interest who liked him back! He grinned widely at the thought, adjusting the phone slightly as he scrolled. 

Just as he balanced it above him, the phone was quick to slip from his fingers - falling straight into the middle of his face and causing him to groan in pain. He was too tired for that kind of abuse from his sudden clumsy fingers. Steven rolled over onto his elbows to avoid any further embarrassing phone-to-face scenarios. 

He finally got a chance to read Connie's text. 

_ 'I hope you got home safely. Thank you so much for such an amazing tour. I can't wait to see you again.'  _

His heart was full as he read each word over and over again. He beamed at his phone - what a wonderful start to his day. He hoped that future 'mornings' would have been welcomed with texts from Connie. Steven thought about responding, instead internally debating whether or not she would have preferred a phone call. 

She had mentioned that people liked video calling, but his hair was dishevelled and he hadn't shaved in a while. He certainly wasn't feeling as well-rested as he should have been after the amount of time he had spent asleep. Perhaps he would keep a call to voice? Just for today. 

He debated on calling Connie for a moment before scrolling through his other text messages - most of which were along the same vein. 

_ 'I think I left my hairbrush in the van. Can you let me know if you see it?'  _ was a text from Jenny. 

_ 'Cool tour, my dude. We'll continue to shred guitars and break hearts next tour. Hope you made it home safely.' _ Buck texted. 

_ 'Dude. Have you seen the video of the cat meowing underwater? Max and Jenny only just sent it to me. It's great - I'll link you.' _ Sour Cream's obscure message read, followed by a link to a TubeTube video that he had been painfully subjected to a few times on tour. 

_ 'Hi. This is Max, Connie gave me your number in case of emergencies or some shit. I don't know what that means. Great tour!'  _

Then one final message from his father read: 

_ 'Hey Stchuball, I know you're probably sleeping off your post-tour blues, but call me when you get this. Your old man just scored you some points with the big leagues. Call me.' _ Greg's message had some kind of urgency attached to it. 

Steven didn’t always enjoy it when his father needed to call him. Sure, he enjoyed speaking to him - but if it was band-related he would rather have been with everyone else to hear the news. He wasn’t quite sure what it could have been and he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Despite everything, he still needed to speak to his dad about the tour and query when it was he would get his Telecaster back. He would probably have to pick it up from his dad’s studio. 

Steven sat up at the side of the bed, making his head spin slightly. He shouldn’t have sat up so fast. His phone was flashing with a low battery warning, but he was sure he would have enough battery to call his father and then potentially even called Connie. Today was going to have been all about relaxing from the tour and trying to unpack his bags in his incredibly small apartment. He already knew he was going to be ordering food for dinner, suddenly thinking about the milk he had left in the fridge before he went. He had to remind himself not to open the top. 

He pressed the green telephone icon on the screen and placed his phone by his ear, listening to it ring as he stood up and twisted open the blinds behind his bed. He squinted at the sunlight bursting through his singular window as the tone within the speaker changed. 

“Hello, Greg Universe speaking.” Greg spoke in a serious tone down the phone.

“Hi Dad!”

“Steven! How was the tour, Kiddo? Did you have a good time?” Greg was quick to jump on the question. He wanted to hear all about it. Steven certainly didn’t communicate with Greg as much as he should have throughout the tour. Especially this time. 

Steven had been...distracted. 

“It was great! We had crowd surfers every night!” Steven grinned. It was Max. Well, mostly Max. 

“Every single night?” 

“Yeah! It was so much fun.”

“It sounds like it. I’m glad you had a good time. Speaking of - have you looked online at all?” Greg spoke with excitement in his voice. Steven could clearly tell that he was working, a distant hum of chatter in the background. He didn’t like to disturb him when he was working with everyone else, Greg had a lot more bands to manage rather than just...his son. 

“I haven’t had the chance.” Steven admitted. It was usually Jenny and Sour Cream that checked out all of the Star Destroyers social media pages. Greg had taught them how to best promote their pages, but Jenny and Sour Cream usually did their own thing with as many pictures and memes as possible. 

“Good news. There’s a lot of people that are reviewing your shows, including some of the big dogs. So, your old man managed to rustle you guys up a deal.” Greg spoke proudly, incredibly happy with what he had gotten for his favourite band. 

“What is it?” 

“The front cover of AlternativeChaos magazine. They also want to do a ten-page feature on you all, including reviews of some of your shows for your first cross-country tour. Someone must have been scouting for content and was certainly blown away by what you guys could do!” Greg was incredibly enthusiastic in his speech. 

Steven smiled at the thought, it was nice to know that there was someone who appreciated the effort that he and his band went into making and performing their music. It always seemed to shock him that there were a lot of people that enjoyed them all creating songs. However, to hear that a large scale magazine wanted to do an interview? That was certainly something. 

The band was going to be over the moon. 

Steven wasn’t quite sure what kind of fame that he wanted to achieve from being in the band. All he wanted to do was to have fun with something that he knew well. A career in the only real subject that he knew well enough to want to earn money in the field. He certainly didn’t want the band to reach the same amount of fame as his mother’s band - but he didn’t mind them gaining some kind of popularity. He mostly did it for the rest of his band, not himself. 

“Woah. Really?” 

“Yeah! I saw a review online and then shuffled around a few dates. Looks like you’re going to L.A. in a few weeks for a photoshoot with the whole band. They’ll snap a bunch of pictures, even the one for the front cover. How does that sound?” Greg questioned, he was so excited. This was one of the first much bigger opportunities that the band had gotten without much of Greg’s encouragement. 

“That’s...really cool.” Steven stared out of the window of his small one-room apartment, the only view he got was of a pizza place across the road. He one day wished for somewhere a little prettier. He sometimes wished he wasn’t so stubborn otherwise his dad would have brought him a much nicer apartment years ago. 

“Right? I’m probably more excited than you are!” 

“Are you coming with us?” 

“This is Los Angeles we’re talking about, I’ve had more flights there than anywhere else. I’m coming, don’t you worry about that. They probably wouldn’t let me in any of the pictures though.” Greg joked with a small laugh. 

Steven had been on photoshoots plenty of times in the past, especially with the band. However, if they were for a magazine he wondered what they possibly would have turned out like. It would have been strange to have seen his face on the front cover of a magazine. He suddenly remembered his mother’s face on the front of all of the newspapers the day after she died…

“Don’t worry, Dad. I’ll take a picture with you.” Steven chuckled, never wanting his dad to feel left out. 

“Well, that makes me feel a lot better.” Greg chuckled.

Steven took a deep breath as he looked back around his apartment. It felt so lonely there after spending so long with a bunch of his closest friends. It was strange to have been alone. Again. 

“I think I have an idea for an album.” Steven suddenly sighed, his words slowly leaving his lips. Steven had been pondering on what he could have written about for a while, exhausting all of his ideas of depressing lyrics months ago. He wanted to make sure that he was in the right frame of mind to continue writing. He wanted his heart in the right place before he continued to build around the concept of an album. 

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah!” Steven grinned, knowing exactly what kind of experience he wanted to focus all of his energy into writing about. 

“Well, heck, Kiddo - that’s great! Give me a shout if you have some demos and I can book you all in for some studio time. I have no idea what it’s going to sound like, but I already know that this new album is going to be killer! You’ve got to speak about it during the interview!” Greg suddenly instructed, being more of a manager than a father at that moment. It wasn’t very often that it happened with Steven, but he certainly noticed the change in tone when it did. 

“I can get something together.” 

“Amazing. You’re going to totally smash this! If things go well with this album, then I’m making sure you go overseas. How does that UK tour sound now?” Greg questioned. 

Steven had never thought of touring outside of the states. He had played in just about every single state throughout his career, one-off shows or supporting other bands through half of a tour. It certainly would have been exciting to have been able to leave the country to play shows. 

“That sounds...really fun.” Steven grinned. 

“Yeah, it would be!” Greg noticed the conversation trailing off before finally adding. “I’m really proud of you.” 

As much as Steven didn’t quite want to accept the praise, it was nice to hear the words from his father. A confirmation that he was doing a good job in his field. He just wanted to make sure that everything that he was doing was where he needed to be in life. His dad always gave him good confirmation of that. Potentially not a reliable source - but Steven needed to hear it anyway. 

“Thanks, Dad.” Steven smiled as he walked over to his small kitchen unit. The apartment he lived in was so small that there was barely room for anything in there. He only had the basics. 

Steven opened up a cupboard and took note of its emptiness. He was starting to get hungry and knew that the only thing he would have been able to eat was the tin of beans at the very back of the cupboard. He opened the fridge and stared down at the expired milk - he wasn’t going to open it up to check. It was too far gone. 

“Well, I hope that you come and stop by the studio soon. Even if it’s just to hang out with your old man.” Greg spoke softly, wanting nothing more than to be with his son. He liked being able to spend the time with him when he could, but they both had pretty busy schedules. Well, Greg did. 

“Do you think...I could pick up some hours at the studio?” Steven furrowed his eyebrows as he flipped onto a new month of his calendar and noticed that his rent was due in less than a week. He wouldn’t have been able to afford that. 

“Steven, you have enough for this month’s rent - right?” Greg spoke with concern, he often found himself transferring money over to Steven without him asking. Steven would have done everything he could to avoid his father giving him money, but sometimes - he just had to let it happen. He sometimes had to swallow his pride to avoid being homeless. 

“I’ll do whatever you need me to do. File some of your paperwork? Clean the equipment?” Steven completely avoided the question. If Greg wanted to give him money, he was willing to work for it. He didn’t deserve a free pass. 

Greg pondered on his questions a little further. He knew that Steven was incredibly stubborn and as long as his son was getting the money that he needed, Greg didn’t mind pandering to his need to help out. It made him feel better. 

“Alright. Come in sometime next week and we’ll talk about what you can do. I’d pay you to write that new album, y’know?” Greg snorted, realising he was never going to win when it came to trying to provide for his son. Greg had more money than he knew what to do with, a lot of it was Steven’s anyway. Rose’s cut from The Gems still resulted in an abundance of money pouring in every now and then. As soon as a song was played anywhere, the Universe family immediately got payment. 

“Yeah, but I’d prefer to do something else if you’re going to be paying me for working.” Steven stated, not too keen on his dad suggesting anything that meant that he would have been working slightly less than the average person. He never wanted to be seen as lazy. Steven didn’t exactly have the fanciest profession and he wasn’t going to show himself as someone who got free passes in life when there were so many people working so much harder for just about nothing. 

“Okay, you got me there. I’ve got to shoot now, Kid. Important business to attend to.” 

“Alright.” Steven sighed, wishing his dad could have stuck around slightly longer. 

“Well, I’ll talk to you later. I need you to tell me all about the tour, including an update on that girl I met. Connie, was it?” Greg pressed slightly. 

“Yeah. It was Connie...” Steven blushed, thankful his dad couldn’t see him. Greg could practically hear him gushing through the phone. There was no resentment in his voice, something that Greg was afraid he would have heard after mentioning a girl. 

“Well, I want to hear all about it. I’ll talk to you later? Maybe you can come and stay for a while?” Steven didn’t live that far away from his father, but then again - Greg could pretty much live anywhere he wanted with a tour bus. However, that didn’t mean that he didn’t own a fancy apartment in Nashville. It was nice to have a bed...sometimes. 

His days of sleeping in a van were beyond him and after earning vast amounts of his own cash, it would have been foolish to continue to subject himself to live in a van. It was already too late for Steven, having to grow up in the section of Steven’s life that despite having money he was forced to live in a touring vehicle. Whenever Steven looked back, he couldn’t quite help but feel as if his father’s acts were incredibly selfish. Steven suffered emotionally and somewhat physically because of the experience. 

“Yeah, that would be nice.” Steven smiled, he had his own room in Greg’s apartment. Funnily enough, his room in the apartment was much larger than Steven’s entire apartment where he currently lived. It was strange to see. A bizarre lifestyle that even Steven couldn’t get used to. Greg didn’t stay there often. 

“Right, well, I’ll see you soon, Steven. Try and get some rest.” 

“I will. See you later, Dad.” 

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” Steven sighed with a slight smirk before hanging up the phone and listening to the silence surrounding him. It was so loud. 

He slumped himself down on the end of his bed and fell backwards, once again staring up at the broken ceiling fan. He wished that it did more than just click when he turned it on. He probably should have spoken to his landlord about it, but that would have meant there would have been far too much social interaction for one day. Steven was exhausted. 

After being in New Jersey, it didn’t take very long for Max and Connie to get back to Beach City. Max had decided that the best option was to drop Connie off before heading back to Michigan to spend the rest of her summer with her family before heading back to college for their final year. Everything seemed to have been moving far too fast. 

Surprisingly, due to the lengths of the drives, Connie’s parents were more than willing to accommodate for Max to have stayed a couple of nights. It didn’t take any convincing at all - they offered! Well, they offered the first night. They understood the safety of driving when tired and didn’t want dear Maxine Kayori to impact the safety of herself and other drivers on her drive back home. That was just a sensible idea.

Max could sleep on the couch. Except, she had rustled staying one night into two. Connie wanted to show her around Beach City, Max had come to visit before - but there were always new things to explore. Plus, Max was always up for an adventure. 

However, after Max had made her pleasantries with the Maheswaran family the day before, Connie sat with her best friend in her bedroom. Max had slumped herself down on the bean bag in the corner of the room as Connie sat on the edge of her bed with her phone in her hand. Max sighed heavily at the sight. 

“He’s going to text you back, what is there to worry about?” Max groaned, her friend had been staring at her phone for the past few hours. Ever since she had sent a text to Steven Universe. 

“Did I phrase it wrong? Should I have put something different?” Connie rubbed her forehead as she read over the text that she had sent once again. It was incredibly generic. There wasn’t much to it and yet he couldn’t stop thinking about whether or not it was wrong. He hadn’t texted back - it had to be wrong! 

“He’s probably asleep.” Max checked her on phone, scrolling through the Star Destroyers tag on each social media page to see if she could see herself crowd surfing or moshing in any of the photos. 

“It’s two in the afternoon!” Connie protested, feeling a little upset that Steven still hadn’t texted her back. Max sighed heavily, having heard her best friend continue to go on about the same subject over and over.

“Dude had a long drive, cut him some slack.” 

“Am I being weird? Is this...weird?” Connie held up her phone and glanced over to Max with concern. Connie had never told anyone that she liked them before and that was the only thing that kept going through her mind. How the hell was she supposed to feel? Boogle didn’t have the answers either. 

“I wouldn’t say that. You’re certainly...something - but  _ weird _ is the wrong word.” Max grumbled. 

Connie took her glasses off and rubbed her face, feeling somewhat exhausted by the whole scenario. As if she wasn’t already tired from the trip. It was nice to have slept in her own bed the previous night though, despite her room being incredibly empty since she had moved to college. 

“I feel kind of stupid.” 

“Stupid is certainly the wrong word to use to describe you. Smartypants.” Max teased, attempting to cheer up her best friend. 

“What if he was just...well...he  _ is _ pretty famous. He might…” 

“Don’t finish that. You’re special. Stop it.” Max furrowed her eyebrows, realising where Connie was about to go with her words. She never wanted Connie to feel down about anything - especially not her new love interest. Especially not when it was the lead singer of her favourite band. 

“It just seems...unlikely.” Connie felt unknown fear within the pit of her stomach. She had never felt this way about anything or anyone before. 

She couldn’t help but be worried that she was just a phase within Steven’s mind. He had said so much to her that could have possibly been a script. She couldn’t think like that. That he was famous and potentially would have said these things to any girl. He didn’t. He had told her. Unless that was a lie. However, he was so kind. What if it was an act? There wasn’t any way it could have been an act. He was so genuine. Unless he was a good actor along with a musician. 

Connie sighed heavily. 

“Just call him.”

“What?” Connie’s expression dropped, anxiety flooding her mind. 

“Well, if he’s not responding to your texts then just call him.” 

“I only texted him once. I don’t want to seem needy.” 

“No way. If you really like one another you’re probably both nervous. He’s probably nervous too. You’re both giant fucking dorks.” Max shrugged, she was right. They really were both giant fucking dorks. Literally. 

“Yeah...I guess.” Connie sighed once more as she stared at her phone again. She wanted nothing more than to have the ability to text him back. The confidence to call him. 

Connie glanced over to Max with an anxious expression. She wasn’t quite sure what to do. Max had given her solid advice, but it wasn’t quite the advice that she felt as if she could have taken. She was too nervous. 

“So, are you going to do it?” Max cocked an eyebrow. 

“What?” 

“Call him.” 

“Uh.”

“Connie…” Max gave her a stern expression. 

“Maybe he’s busy…” 

“Come on!” Max groaned, growing impatient with her best friend’s inability to make a phone call. Max hated speaking to people on the phone too, but she was pretty good at forcing herself to do it. Well, Connie was pretty good at forcing her to make phone calls. Connie was a good confidence booster. 

Connie looked at the text message she had sent once more before suddenly a hand came out of nowhere and grabbed her phone from her grip. 

“Hey!” Connie exclaimed in shock, Max showing no remorse for the situation. She was going to get them to talk to one another whether they liked it or not. 

“If anyone is going to fuck with destiny - it’s me!” Max growled as she touched the green phone icon at the top of Steven’s name. Connie gasped as she attempted to reach over to Max to get her to give her phone back. Max pushed out her arm, making sure to keep it as far away from Connie as possible. 

“Give it back!”

“It’s ringing!”

“No! Max, come on!” Connie reached over once more as Max fought her off, listening to the phone ring like a ticking time bomb waiting for him to answer. 

“It’s for your own good!”

“No, it’s not!”

“Get off me, absolute fiend.” Max kicked Connie gently in the scuffle, holding the phone away from her the best she could. 

“Max, this is serious!” 

“Nuh-uh,  _ Crumble _ , this is fate. Destiny, bitch!” Max snapped back, hoping that Connie’s parents didn’t hear them verbally fighting or practically whacking one another as they stretched across the beanbag. Connie practically had Max pinned down, but still couldn’t reach the phone as she held it away from them both. 

“What the hell am I supposed to say?” Connie argued as she reached over once more, this time Max’s hand pushed her face away as they battled one another over the distant rings of the phone. Any more and it probably would have gone to voicemail. 

“Well, a  _ ‘hi, Steeeeeeven’ _ would be nice - wouldn’t it?” 

“Give me the phone!” 

“Not until you promise not to hang up and speak to him like a goddamn adult.” 

“Oh,  _ fuck _ you!” Connie suddenly growled at Max as she practically went to swat Max out of the way once more, aggressively reaching for the phone. 

“Someone’s feisty!”

“Well, you’re  _ pissing _ me off!” Connie finally snatched the phone back from Max.

“Uh...hello?” A voice suddenly sounded through the phone. Connie fell backwards on her ass into the middle of her bedroom floor as she gave Max a look of concern. Max stared back with wide eyes as she adjusted the beanie on the top of her head. She slowly sat up in the bean bag and furrowed her eyebrows with concern. 

Connie looked down at the phone, her hand shaking slightly as she held it. It had taken so long to get the phone from Max that she hadn’t even thought about what she was going to say. 

“Connie? Is anyone there? Hello?” Steven spoke softly down the phone, perhaps wondering if the line had broken up. He couldn’t quite believe Connie was calling him. 

Max nodded towards Connie, moving her arms in quick succession to try and get her to speak. Connie shook her head rapidly. What was she going to say? She froze. 

“Hello? Oh.” Steven sounded slightly disappointed that he couldn’t hear her speak. 

Max immediately reached over and snatched the phone away from Connie once more before hanging up the call and suddenly throwing her mobile across the room. Connie gasped at the sight, Max committing the act through sheer desperation for the situation. 

“Max! What the hell?” Connie threaded her fingers through her hair as she stared at her phone that had been thrown to the other side of the room. 

“That was too awkward! It was killing me! Oh boy, I had to get you out of that one.” Max laughed awkwardly, sweating slightly at the situation. 

Before either of them could gather their thoughts there was a sudden vibration on the carpet, followed by a melodic tone coming from the other side of the room. Max and Connie exchanged glances. 

“Oh no.” Connie’s heart dropped, knowing exactly who the phone call would have been from. 

Steven. He was calling her back. 

“Answer it! You have to answer it!”

“I can’t!”

“If you don’t, I will!”

“No!”

“See? Just do it!” 

Connie swallowed her nerves, giving Max a look of fear. She reached over to grab the phone, regrettably spinning it around to see the screen. It was Steven. 

She took a deep breath before siding the green circle across the screen and lifting the phone to her ear. 

“Hello?” Connie spoke nervously.

“Oh hi, Connie! Did you just call me?” Steven questioned, a little confused as to why he was just called. 

“Oh yeah, sorry, the signal here is pretty bad.” Connie laughed, Max sat contently on the other side of the room listening carefully to the conversation to make sure her best friend didn’t say something too stupid to the guy that she liked. 

“No problem, I understand. What’s up? Is everything okay?” Steven suddenly had slight concern in his voice, she noticed there was some background noise to his phone call. 

“Everything’s fine. I just...thought I’d ring you to see if you got home okay.”

“Well, I slept for far longer than the average person - but I got home alright. I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your text, I was going to call you but I needed to go to the store first otherwise I’d just keep putting it off. I’m currently shopping for anything that isn’t pizza.” Steven chuckled down the phone, tour making him somewhat sick of the meal. 

“I don’t think I’ll be eating pizza for a while either.” Connie laughed, matching his mood and suddenly realising that she had called him whilst he was in a grocery store. He was doing errands and she had disturbed him. 

“Did you get home okay?” 

“Yeah, it wasn’t much of a drive in comparison to everywhere else.” 

“Driving never gets any easier. It’s always super long and tiring.”

“Yeah, I figured that out pretty quickly.” Connie snorted, watching Max give her a simple thumbs up. 

“Hey, Connie?”

“Yeah?”

“Is there any chance I could call you back? I...really want to speak to you - but it’s kind of hard in here.” Steven laughed nervously, he hated having to tell Connie that he couldn’t speak to her right then and there. He could - but he didn’t want to be rude to the cashier. He also wanted to have a much longer conversation with Connie than one that he would have been able to have whilst still shopping. 

“Oh, yeah, of course!” 

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to be rude. I do really want to speak to you!” Steven panicked, feeling as if he was coming off as abrupt. 

“No, it’s fine! Honestly. I’m free later, you can call whenever.” Connie smiled, a little flattered that Steven wanted to speak to her for a prolonged period of time. 

“Okay. Good. I didn’t want to disturb you.” 

“Never!” 

“Alright, well, I’ll speak to you in a little while?” 

“Sure!”

“Great! Alright, bye, Connie!” Steven had a perky tone to his voice, even through the phone.

“Bye, Steven!” Connie smiled before hanging up the phone. It was nice to know that he was going to call her back. 

Connie sighed as she put the phone down, looking over at Max with a small grin. 

“So, how was it?” Max cocked an eyebrow, only able to hear half of the conversation. From her friend’s smile - it seemed to have gone pretty well. 

“He’s shopping at the moment, but he’s going to call me back.” Connie double-checked her phone before pulling her knees up to her chest as she sat in the middle of the room with a small smirk on her face. 

“There was nothing to worry about!”

“Sure…” 

“I heard what you said about pizza. Does that mean we’re not getting pizza today?” Max pouted slightly, wanting nothing more than to spend the last day of her time with Connie through the summer to have some kind of memorable meal. 

“Hm, I might be able to bend the rule slightly.” 

“Okay, good - because I really want mozzarella sticks.” Max sighed with relief. 

Connie laughed, she had just had one of the best summers of her life. Things really were looking up. She checked her phone once again and noticed a text notification flash up on her screen. 

_ ‘I think the price of milk has gone up whilst we were on tour. The billionaires did it. Speak to you later. x’  _

Connie smiled down at his text. 

She couldn’t wait for her phone to ring again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading Star Destroyers. It's been so much fun! 
> 
> Never fear though, THE FUN ISN'T OVER! The band is touring the UK soon! (Starting from the 21st of September - WATCH THIS SPACE!)
> 
> There are two really cool one-shots from TranscendentalSpaceGem that you can find here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26499754/chapters/64582438
> 
> SO, WATCH OUT FOR THE SEQUEL. COMING SOON!

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr - @ConnverseTheUniverse
> 
> You can find the playlist for this story here. Every song relates to something that's happening/fits the vibe. I was originally going to do chapter to chapter, but I couldn't help myself: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2MnfFQZfxtFzsXSkIsER3f?si=NoY2YSysRFaIG0OalByzNQ
> 
> Fic will *usually* update in the following pattern: Mon, Weds, Fri.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Star Destroyers: City of Angels](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26087896) by [Psychedelic_Star](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Psychedelic_Star/pseuds/Psychedelic_Star)
  * [Star Destroyers: Two High Men Stare At A Battleship](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27609074) by [E350tb](https://archiveofourown.org/users/E350tb/pseuds/E350tb)




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